Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea criticized Wednesday a cabinet session that he said discussed items that a caretaker government should not be tackling.

Geagea dubbed the session as "unconstitutional" although it discussed some urgent matters, but also contained other items "far from being urgent."

French President Emmanuel Macron's envoy for Lebanon, Jean-Yves Le Drian arrived in Beirut on Wednesday to end a political impasse that has left the country without a president for more than seven months.

Le Drian is a political heavyweight who served as foreign minister throughout Macron's first mandate and previously as defense minister.

Independent MP Neemat Frem said overnight that he has been told by the Shiite Duo (Hezbollah and Amal Movement) that there is “no veto” on his possible presidential nomination.

“But they told me that until now their candidate is Suleiman Franjieh,” Frem added, in an interview with al-Jadeed TV.

Families in Lebanon are barely able to meet their most basic needs despite cutting down drastically on expenses according to a new survey by UNICEF. A growing number of families are having to resort to sending their children – some as young as six years old - to work in a desperate effort to survive the socio-economic crisis engulfing the country.

The results of the survey paint a dramatic picture of the situation as the crisis continues to escalate for a fourth consecutive year, with devastating consequences for children.

Cabinet called off on Wednesday the intermediate official exams (Brevet) for this year, approved the pending promotion of security and military officers, and renewed the UNIFIL's mandate for another year, in a session boycotted by the Free Patriotic Movement.

Cabinet also passed a decree that would turn civil defense volunteers into full-timers after years of service.

Hamadeh says Democratic Gathering open to ‘other candidates’

MP Marwan Hamadeh of the Democratic Gathering on Tuesday said he does not expect French presidential envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian to carry any solution “formula” during his visit to Lebanon.

Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab, who had suggested early parliamentary elections to solve the presidential crisis, said that the idea was his.

"No one has encouraged me to propose early elections," Bou Saab told al-Joumhouria newspaper, in remarks published Tuesday, denying that Speaker Nabih Berri or Hezbollah had instructed him to do it, "as some people have imagined."

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil has said that neither his party nor the defiance and opposition forces can secure the needed votes for their presidential candidate.

"The only way is consensus," Bassil said in a televised interview, after lawmakers failed last week for a 12th time to elect a new president.

Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah defended Monday a legislative session boycotted by 29 opposition and independent MPs.

"Without this session, public sectors employees couldn't have received their salaries," Fadlallah said.

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil has visited Qatar to discuss the Lebanese presidential file with Qatari officials, media reports said.

The Qataris, encouraged by the U.S., suggested again the nomination of Army chief Gen. Joseph Aoun during their meeting with Bassil on Sunday, al-Akhabar newspaper said.