President Michel Suleiman lauded on Thursday the agreement reached between the transportation unions and the Finance Ministry that ended the general strike the unions had planned for today.

He also emphasized the need to organize public transportation in Lebanon.

Premier-designate Najib Miqati held talks with Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain el-Tineh on Tuesday night amid reports about efforts to launch a new initiative to solve the cabinet deadlock.

Al-Liwaa and An Nahar dailies said new efforts have been made to end the government impasse and speed up its formation.

Premier-designate Najib Miqati’s circles have snapped back at Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun expressing “surprise” at his demands and accusing him of turning against an alleged deal reached on the new cabinet more than a month ago.

In remarks to several Beirut newspapers, the circles denied that Miqati was behind the delay in the formation of the government, saying the prime minister-designate was rejecting Aoun’s new demands after the FPM chief turned against an agreement reached between the different parties.

The aides of the speaker and the Hizbullah leader on Tuesday informed Premier-designate Najib Miqati that Free Patriotic Movement chief Michel Aoun continues to hold onto his demands, including 5 out of 6 Maronite ministers in the cabinet, informed sources told several newspapers.

But Miqati reiterated that he was still waiting for answers on his demand for parliamentary blocs to provide him with lists of names they propose for the cabinet.

Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati’s circles have snapped back at Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun saying the man tasked with forming the new cabinet is acting in accordance with the constitution.

While the circles said that Miqati refuses to bicker with any side over the government impasse, they stressed that the premier-designate “reads the constitution which is clear and has standards that should not be turned into a (political) game.”

Hizbullah will reportedly make a new initiative to put back the cabinet formation efforts on track after the latest deal on the name of retired Internal Security Forces Maj. Gen. Marwan Charbel collapsed.

An Nahar daily said Tuesday that Hizbullah might move in the next few days to find a consensual exit to the government impasse.

Tawhid movement leader Wiam Wahhab said Monday that he was mulling along with Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun ways to withdraw their confidence from PM-designate Najib Miqati.

Following talks with Aoun at his residence in Rabiyeh, Wahhab said that the two politicians were searching for new and legal formulas to withdraw their confidence from Miqati.

President Michel Suleiman held talks on Monday with U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly on the security and political repercussions of Sunday’s Nakba Day clashes between Lebanon, Syria, and Israel.

He called on the United States to urge the Jewish state to respect international laws and agreements, once again condemning its attack against unarmed civilians.

A deal to form a 30-member cabinet in which the March 8 forces would get 19 ministers, while 11 ministers would be allotted to the president, the premier-designate and the Progressive Socialist Party, is now under threat after the dispute over the interior ministry portfolio did not abate.

March 14 sources told An Nahar daily in remarks published Monday that practically March 8 would get 20 ministers while the remaining 10 would go to President Michel Suleiman, PM-designate Najib Miqati and PSP leader Walid Jumblat.

President Michel Suleiman stressed that there are no more disagreements over the government formation now that the dispute over the Interior Ministry has been resolved, adding that other sides are responsible for creating obstacles.

He said: “Some sides believe that they are entitled to the Defense, Health, and Education portfolios that they will demand ten ministries, including nine portfolios.”