Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil snapped back Friday at Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, accusing him of resorting to sectarian incitement for political gains.

“Someone is trying to use big slogans to cover up for the nature of his real practices in governance, administrations, the state, the political system and everything that has to do with the affairs of this state,” Khalil said at a press conference he held a few hours after a press conference by Bassil.

Hizbullah deputy chief Sheikh Naim Qassem announced Friday that his party and its allies are not seeking to win a parliamentary majority or a one-third veto power in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

“We in Hizbullah are relieved in advance regarding any parliamentary elections results and we're not worried at all,” Qassem said at a press conference to launch Hizbullah's electoral campaign in the South.

Justice Minister Salim Jreissati stressed Friday that he did not move the public prosecution against the comedian Hisham Haddad, the host of 'Lahonwbas', the National News Agency reported.

Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil called for “abolishing sectarianism” and stressed that Lebanon can only be governed with “partnership” among its political parties.

“Lebanon can not survive with multiple (political) bi-polarities. Lebanon can only survive with Christian-Muslim partnership,” stressed Bassil in a televised press interview on Friday.

Differences between the AMAL Movement, of Speaker Nabih Berri, and the Free Patriotic Movement, of President Michel Aoun, over the signing of a seniority decree promoting a number of officers “do not annul the possibility of striking an alliance with the FPM,” al-Akhbar daily reported on Friday.

The daily quoted AMAL sources who said: “The battle over seniority decree between the President and Speaker is one thing, while the electoral alliance is another. The possibility of striking a coalition with the FPM is not rejected in principle, but it is however subject to calculations of profit and loss.”

Preparations for Lebanon's upcoming parliamentary elections are underway despite the fact that the “map of alliances” is still vague and highly controversial except for the “Shiite duo” of Hizbullah and the AMAL Movement, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Friday.

The public prosecution has filed a lawsuit against the comedian Hisham Haddad, the host of 'Lahonwbas', Lebanon's most watched satirical TV show.

“At the request of State Prosecutor Judge Samir Hammoud, Mount Lebanon attorney general Judge Ghada Aoun has referred a lawsuit against the journalist Hisham Haddad to the Publications Court on charges pertaining to Article 23 of Law 104/77,” the National News Agency said.

Hizbullah's Loyalty to Resistance parliamentary bloc on Thursday accused the U.S. administration of “continuing its incitement against Hizbullah through a symphony of questioning and fabricated accusations that lack any evidence.”

“The bloc condemns the work of the U.S. panel of inquiry in Lebanon and its interference in the Lebanese banking system,” said the bloc in a statement issued after its weekly meeting.

Ambassador of the European Union to Lebanon Christina Lassen on Wednesday opened the 24th edition of the European Film Festival 24 at Cinema Metropolis Empire Sofil, in the presence of Minister of Culture Ghattas Khoury and of political and diplomatic figures, as well as culture, media and social personalities.

“It is the 24th time we host this festival here in Lebanon which we – in all modesty – think has become an essential part of the cultural calendar here,” Lassen said in a speech.

U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) Edward White on Wednesday attended the closing ceremony of “Empowering Lebanese Entrepreneurs” (ELE), an initiative that trained and mentored a total of 50 Lebanese entrepreneurs, the U.S. Embassy in Beirut said on Thursday.

The “Empowering Lebanese Entrepreneurs” project was funded by the U.S. Embassy Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Office’s Local Grant Program, and was implemented by the MEPI Lebanon Alumni Association (MEPI LAA).