President Michel Suleiman suggested granting Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji the Interior Ministry portfolio in order to end the dispute over this matter, revealed As Safir newspaper on Thursday.

It added that the President’s proposal came as a response to the suggestion to appoint General Paul Matar to the position.

Speaker Nabih Berri said Wednesday that he was the first to ask for holding accountable those responsible of public property violations and restraining all illegal building on those properties.

MPs quoted Berri as saying after his weekly meeting with lawmakers that “the absence of the state, and the incapability of security forces to carry out their tasks and responsibilities encouraged people” to go ahead with the violations.

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat has reportedly described President Michel Suleiman as a “weak personality surrounded by supporters of the Syrian regime.”

In a WikiLeaks cable dated September 17, 2008 and published by al-Joumhouria newspaper, the Druze leader also described Speaker Nabih Berri as a “big liar.”

Speaker Nabih Berri said Tuesday he was “disgusted” by the delay in the formation of the government adding that he made everything possible to solve the deadlock.

In remarks to As Safir daily, Berri lamented that the government formation efforts reached a standstill over bickering between the parties involved in the process.

Caretaker Interior Minister Ziad Baroud announced on Saturday that he had informed President Michel Suleiman three months ago of his intention not to be reappointed as a minister.

He added: “I will not allow myself to stand as an obstacle in the government formation process as the media has been lately trying to demonstrate.”

President Michel Suleiman reportedly is still holding onto the interior ministry portfolio as part of his share in the new government but could agree that a personality other than Ziad Baroud heads the ministry, media reports said Saturday.

An Nahar daily said that Suleiman won’t give up the portfolio “at all” but might not hold onto Baroud who headed the ministry in Caretaker Premier Saad Hariri’s cabinet.

A Foreign Ministry source told Akhbar al-Yawm news agency that caretaker Foreign Minister Ali Shami will continue on coordinating his positions with Speaker Nabih Berri, while protocol requires him to consult with the prime minister and president.

This position came in light of Shami’s request on Tuesday from Lebanon’s Ambassador to the U.N. Nawwaf Salam not to approve a Security Council statement condemning the use of violence against protestors in Syria.

March 14 General Secretariat coordinator Fares Soaid criticized on Wednesday Speaker Nabih Berri’s recent statements on Syria, saying that they “involve Lebanon in Syria’s internal affairs in a very dangerous manner.”

He said after the general secretariat’s weekly meeting: “His statements expose Lebanon on all levels and we question such remarks seeing as they were issued from a man of state such as Nabih Berri.”

Speaker Nabih Berri questioned on Wednesday the delay in the government formation, stressing the need for its establishment given the difficult situation Lebanon and the region are going through.

He said during his weekly meeting with MPs at parliament that all sides should exercise diligence to confront the challenges facing Lebanon and the Lebanese.

Caretaker Foreign Minister Ali al-Shami’s latest instructions to Lebanon’s ambassador to the U.N. drew the ire of the March 14 forces that accused him of overstepping President Michel Suleiman and Caretaker Premier Saad Hariri.

Al-Shami instructed Ambassador Nawaf Salam on Tuesday not to approve a draft Security Council statement criticizing Syria for its crackdown on anti-regime protesters.