EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton reiterated support to President Michel Suleiman's efforts to commence an urgent national dialogue session and avoid plunging Lebanon in a political vacuum following the assassination of Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau chief Brig. Gen. Wissam al-Hasan, As Safir daily reported Wednesday.

Praising efforts to maintain stability and warning against political vacuum, she stressed to officials the importance of state institutions that continue to ensure security and provide services.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat renewed his rejection of political vacuum in Lebanon in the wake of the March 14-led opposition's demands for the resignation of the government and the formation of a national one, reported the daily An Nahar on Wednesday.

He told the daily: “I support the establishment of a new government if the conditions for it are available.”

Speaker Nabih Berri lashed out on Wednesday at the March 14 alliance, pointing out that it acquired all the “flaws” of the March 8 camp and added to it its own “dreadful behavior.”

“Instead of cooperating and acquiring each others positive traits, the March 14 forces decided to take the March 8 camp's flaws and added worse behavior to them,” Berri's visitors quoted him as saying in comments published in An Nahar newspaper on Wednesday.

President Michel Suleiman voiced on Tuesday his support for the army's efforts to maintain peace and stability in Lebanon.

He said after meeting Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn: “The army's measures to preserve security have demonstrated that the state and all of its institutions are the only safe haven for all the Lebanese people.”

President Michel Suleiman held a series of consultations on Tuesday with Lebanese foes over the political situation in the country while the opposition insists on the resignation of the cabinet as a key condition to resume any political activity with the March 8 alliance.

Head of al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc MP Fouad Saniora held talks with Suleiman at the Baabda Palace, where he briefed him on the March 14 alliance's demands concerning the immediate resignation of the government and the camp's stance from the recent developments in the country.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati signed on Tuesday the decree to refer the case of the assassination of Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau head Wissam al-Hasan's to the judicial council.

The decree has also been referred to President Michel Suleiman.

The March 14 alliance is pressing forward with its decision to topple the cabinet as it will boycott any official activity, including the parliament, An Nahar newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Lawmakers affiliated with the March 14 parliamentary blocs boycotted Tuesday's joint parliamentary committees meeting, which is set to tackle the new electoral draft law.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton warned on Tuesday against a political vacuum in Lebanon after the opposition March 14 camp called for Premier Najib Miqati to step down over the assassination of Intelligence Bureau chief Maj. Gen. Wissam al-Hasan in a car bombing blamed on Syria.

Ashton met with Miqati at the Grand Serail, President Michel Suleiman at the Baabda palace and Speaker Nabih Berri at Ain el-Tineh.

The ambassadors to Lebanon of the five permanent United Nations Security Council members held talks on Monday with President Michel Suleiman on the current security situation in Lebanon.

U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Derek Plumbly said after the meeting that the five countries support the president's efforts to ease the tensions and put an end to the security chaos.

President Michel Suleiman is seeking to find a solution and counteract the repercussions of the assassination of Brigadier General Wissam al-Hasan, chief of the Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau, the al-Joumhouria daily reported Monday.

Sources close to the presidential palace in Baabda told the daily that Suleiman seeks to explore the next phase as Prime Minister Najib Miqati intends to submit his resignation, according to reports, and has decided not to go to his office at the Grand Serail.