The delay in lining up a cabinet as the result of wrangling over specific ministerial portfolios, raises fears about the fate of a new electoral law that is supposed to be agreed among political parties in order to hold the parliamentary elections slated for May, al-Joumhouria daily said on Monday.

Several political parties are adamant to be given certain portfolios in the new government which is hampering the efforts of PM-designate Saad Hariri to form one. The daily questioned the motives behind the unwavering positions and said that it raises fears as for the fate of the electoral law and the parliamentary elections that are supposed to be held in May.

Hizbullah has hailed late Cuban leader Fidel Castro, whose death was announced on Saturday, as a “historic symbol.”

After denunciations following a decision to build a wall near the country's largest Palestinian refugee camp of Ain el-Hilweh, the Lebanese army assured that it is aimed at preventing jihadists from infiltrating the country.

“In explanation of what has recently been circulating about the establishment of a separation wall in the vicinity of Ain el-Hilweh, the Army Command assured that there is no decision to establish this wall between the camp and its surrounding,” the Army Command Orientation Directorate said in a statement on Friday.

President Michel Aoun praised the Lebanese army's efforts on Friday after clamping down on an Islamic State terror group in Arsal and detaining several militants including an IS commander, the National News Agency reported.

The President hailed the “pre-emptive security operation” carried out by the army early on Friday in Arsal near the Lebanese-Syrian border, NNA said.

Claims about some attempts planning to “weaken” the term of President Michel Aoun by obstructing the formation of the cabinet are not accurate, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Friday.

Free Patriotic Movement sources told the daily that reports circulating about attempts to obstruct the term of Aoun are unfounded.

The Lebanese army clashed overnight with Islamic State jihadists near a Syrian refugee encampment in Wadi al-Araneb in Arsal and arrested an IS commander together with 10 other militants, the state-run National News Agency reported Friday.

The army said special forces and other troops carried out the dawn attack on an IS headquarters in the mountainous eastern area of Arsal.

Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh emphasized on Thursday that the latest political developments in Lebanon after the election of President Michel Aoun have improved the overall confidence in Lebanon.

Electricite Du Liban daily contract workers staged protests on Thursday and blocked the entrance to the company's headquarters in Beirut to pressure the government into a long-standing demand that makes them full-time employees, the state-run National News Agency reported.

The employees first blocked the customer service gate and prevented the employees from accessing the building. Shortly afterward they only allowed the employee to enter, NNA added.

Political parties are obliged to agree on the controversial distribution of ministerial portfolios within a week time limit, otherwise they will be compelled to agree on a government line-up set by President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri, media reports said on Thursday.

Aoun and Hariri will not leave the disagreements on portfolios to hinder the formation process any longer and have decided to take action in that regard. The choices at hand include “imposing a line-up which they see appropriate,” Free Patriotic Movement sources told al-Akhbar daily.

Speaker Nabih Berri said after the weekly Wednesday meeting with MPs that he is optimistic as for the efforts to line-up the cabinet, and emphasized that he insists to be given the public works ministerial portfolio.

“We expect minor problems hindering the formation to be eased. Efforts are ongoing to solve them and form a government in order to stipulate a new electoral law,” Berri remarked.