Speaker Nabih Berri called on political parties to grasp the chance and approve his electoral law proposal because it “will not be valid after May 15” when an anticipated parliament session convenes, al-Akhbar daily reported on Saturday.

“I have done everything I could, but the others did not pick up the opportunity. The last law proposal I made to get out of the current crisis will not be valid after May 15,” Berri told the daily in an interview.

Education Minister Marwan Hamadeh said on Friday that President Michel Aoun supports a cabinet voting on an electoral law if consensus fails on the issue, pointing out that vacuum at the legislative authority opens the door to a constituent assembly.

“President Michel Aoun adheres to an option of voting on a law, versus consensus which has started to generalize (between political parties),” Hamadeh told VDL (100.5).

The electricity reform plan to improve Lebanon's power supply was raised from outside the agenda during the cabinet meeting on Thursday, but the issue triggered dispute between ministers of the Lebanese Forces and the Free Patriotic Movement, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Friday.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri raised the issue when he inquired about the tender to lease Turkish power vessels as approved during a previous cabinet meeting.

An unprecedented move made by President Michel Aoun when he asked Prime Minister Saad Hariri to lead the cabinet session at the Presidential Palace, triggered a war of words on Twitter between Hariri and former PM Najib Miqati over the “constitutionality” of the gesture, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Friday.

During a cabinet meeting chaired by Aoun at Baabda Palace on Thursday, Aoun had to leave to attend a celebration marking the 66th anniversary of the Lebanese University. He asked Hariri to take his place and preside over the session without adjourning it, said the daily.

Government officials, celebrities and members of the press gathered at Jounieh Municipality on April 26 to announce the program of the highly anticipated Jounieh Summer Festival 2017 -- the official annual summer festival organized by the Municipality of Jounieh in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism.

President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Saad Hariri inked on Thursday the first law allowing expatriates to regain the Lebanese nationality.

The two men signed the law during the 4th Lebanese Diaspora Energy conference held at BIEL.

The Kataeb party deplored the political parties' failure to agree on a new electoral law, saying the hurdles obstructing the process are a result of conflicts between authority partners on the size of their sects' representation in the new parliament, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Thursday.

“The party refuses any attempt to change the nature of the current problem in Lebanon," Kataeb sources told the daily.

The Lebanese Forces hailed Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's position after he back-pedaled from adherence to a proportional representation system which the LF described as a “positive” step, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Thursday.

“Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah reconsidered his adherence to full proportional representation system which paves way for an agreement on a new electoral law,” LF sources told the daily on condition of anonymity.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat emphasized that he strongly rejects a cabinet vote on an electoral law and the “sectarian” qualification law format, asserting that Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was right when he said that the country is on the verge of an abyss, ad-Diyar daily reported on Thursday.

Asked about a cabinet vote on an electoral law, Jumblat told the daily in an interview: “We have foiled an option on voting through an intercepting plan. Sayyed Nasrallah has asserted that the election law is very sensitive and can only be solved through consensus.

Speaker Nabih Berri reiterated on Wednesday that an extension of the parliament's term is “absolutely impossible.”

Addressing lawmakers during his Wednesday meeting with deputies in Ain el-Tineh, he said: “Rest assured, I speak on behalf of the council. A parliament mandate extension is absolutely inconceivable.