Change and Reform bloc officials revealed Tuesday that consultations among top politicians aimed at ending the deadlock on the promotion of army officers have made progress.

The officials, who were not identified, told al-Mustaqbal newspaper that the talks are tackling the promotions and the activation of the work of parliament and the government.

Lebanon's rival leaders met on Tuesday for the third round of national dialogue amid heavy reinforcements made by security forces to stop protesters from reaching the parliament building in downtown Beirut's Nejmeh Square.

A terse statement said the conferees focused on the issue of the presidential vacuum and that the next rounds of national dialogue will be held on October 6, 7 and 8.

Progressive Socialist Party chief MP Walid Jumblat said on Monday that the list of corrupt politicians in Lebanon is endless, expressing surprise at the fact that the protesters held banners in Sunday's demonstration limiting corruption to only three, including him.

“Yes I am part of this political strata condemned by the popular civil society movements, and I am accused until proven guilty. But at the same time I have the right to express surprise at the fact that they have limited the accusations of corruption to only three politicians, raising their pictures in the demos,” Jumblat told As Safir daily on Monday.

Prime Minister Tammam Salam said Saturday that the cabinet should convene following his return from New York where he will attend the U.N. General Assembly session.

Following talks with Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain el-Tineh, Salam said: “I will represent Lebanon next week at the U.N. General Assembly. Upon my return, the cabinet should convene.”

Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun is expected to announce on Sunday an important stance from the controversial military and security appointments and his possible boycott of the national dialogue.

Aoun is set to give a speech during a ceremony that will be held on the occasion of handing over the Free Patriotic Movement leadership to his son-in-law Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil.

Speaker Nabih Berri is reportedly seeking to reach a settlement on the presidential crisis and an electoral draft-law as he stressed that the national dialogue would be under threat if officials boycott it.

Informed sources told As Safir newspaper that Berri is exerting efforts to strike a deal among the dialogue's participants to agree on a presidential candidate and approve the elections law in a bid to resolve the country's political crisis.

Officials in Bkirki said the national dialogue on the presidential vacuum would prolong the crisis, urging top officials who are holding all-party talks to take a “historic” decision that would lead to the election of a new head of state.

The officials, who were not identified, told the Kuwaiti al-Seyassah newspaper published Thursday that “the conferees should take a historic decision, which would lead to the removal of obstacles facing the presidential elections and help fill the vacuum.”

Lebanon's rival leaders met for the second round of national dialogue on Wednesday as scores of civil society activists clashed with security forces during a demonstration aimed at shaming the officials for failing to resolve crucial issues.

The all-party talks were chaired by Speaker Nabih Berri at the parliament for the second week in a row as “You Stink” movement activists staged a protest to coincide with the dialogue in downtown Beirut.

Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal movement lauded Tuesday during their 18th dialogue session Speaker Nabih Berri's recent call for national dialogue, saying it should continue amid the “critical period” that the country is going through.

“The conferees discussed the political developments and applauded Speaker Berri's call for convening a (national) dialogue conference in a bid to reach an agreement on the issues mentioned in the agenda,” said the two parties in a joint statement issued after the Ain el-Tineh talks.

Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun is mulling to boycott the second national dialogue session that is scheduled to be held on Wednesday, An Nahar newspaper reported.

Aoun is studying his options, a Free Patriotic Movement official, who was not identified, told the daily.