Speaker Nabih Berri assured on Monday that atmospheres are positive although the idea of establishing a senate has been withdrawn from a proposal he made on an electoral law.

“Withdrawing the idea of creating a senate by May 15, does not mean that the atmospheres are not positive with all political parties, especially that proportional representation is the subject under discussion currently,” the parliament leadership said in a statement on Monday.

MP Boutros Harb said on Monday that no agreement on an electoral law was reached during a meeting held Sunday evening at Ain el-Tineh, adding that discussions were still underway to improve conditions.

“There was no agreement on a single scenario during Sunday's evening meeting on an electoral law. Debate is continuing in order to improve conditions in the recent negotiations,” said Harb in an interview to VDL (100.5).

The cabinet will hold an ordinary session at the Grand Serail on Wednesday to tackle 52 items on its agenda, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Monday.

Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil is expected to present a demand for the renewal of the Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh's term.

An evening meeting held in Ain el-Tineh on Sunday between several political figures, failed to reach decisive results as for an agreement on a new parliamentary electoral law, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Monday.

As hundreds of experts convened this week in Beirut to discuss conflict medicine at the Middle East Medical Assembly, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has warned of the long-term consequences that protracted crises might have on health systems.

Hizbullah handed over Friday to the Lebanese army its military posts in the outskirts of the eastern border towns of Tufail, Brital, Ham and Maaraboun, Hizbullah's al-Manar TV said.

Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said Thursday that Israel's decision to build a wall along Lebanon's border is an acknowledgment of its “defeat,” as he declared that Hizbullah will end its military presence on Lebanon's eastern border with Syria.

President Michel Aoun announced Tuesday that his Free Patriotic Movement's stance on the electoral law “is not sectarian,” while stressing that a proportional representation system should have “restraints” or else it would be equivalent to a sudden abolition of political sectarianism.

President Michel Aoun held talks with Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Tuesday at the Baabda Palace, where talks focused on the controversial electoral law on the eve of a cabinet meeting scheduled the next day, and ahead of a ministerial committee meeting in the afternoon.

“Negative atmospheres can not help establish the grounds for an agreement on an election law,” stressed Hariri, pointing out that he would consider his government “unsuccessful” shall it fail at devising a new law.

Speaker Nabih Berri indirectly described a tender to lease power generating vessels launched by Energy Minister Cesar Abi Khalil as “suspicious.”

“A tender to lease power-generating vessels brings gains to pockets,” LBCI quoted the Speaker as saying.