Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat warned that the recent car bomb blast in Beirut's southern suburbs was a clear message that similar attacks could take place elsewhere in Lebanon and that a vacuum in the army leadership would have a “destructive” effect.

In an interview with As Safir daily published on Thursday, Jumblat said: “The situation is not comforting. The message of the car bomb in Bir al-Abed should be a message to everyone in that what happened in the southern suburbs could happen elsewhere.”

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat voiced on Monday concerns over a number of local and regional issues, starting with the vacuum at state institutions, namely the army.

He wondered how some members of parliament's bureau had gone back on the decision to extend the term of Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji.

Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam said Monday that there was still no progress in the formation of a new government and that a decision to step down was one of the available options.

“There is still no progress in the cabinet formation but this will not stop me” from exerting further efforts, Salam said following talks with President Michel Suleiman at Baabda palace.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat described on Saturday the current political situation as “unsound,” stressing that the only way to resolve disputes is by dialogue.

Sources close to Jumblat expressed the Druze leader's annoyance that a certain party decided to boycott the recent parliamentary session that Speaker Nabih Berri called for, in comments published in As Safir newspaper.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat slammed on Tuesday the international community's ongoing failure to properly address the Syrian crisis, noting its disregard of the developments in the city of Homs, which he predicted would be critical in determining the fate of the crisis.

He added: “The destruction of real-estate records in city and their replacement with others of different sects is an attempt to alter the political and sectarian identity of the regions stretching from Damascus to the Syrian coast.”

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat lamented on Saturday the rise of extremism in Lebanon at the expense of moderation, stressing the need to combat it through backing the state and the army.

He said in a statement: “The recent developments demonstrate that the spread of arms cannot be tackled through more arms … but through the return to dialogue.”

Caretaker Social Affairs Minister Wael Abou Faour has maintained efforts to form a new government in light of his recent trip to Saudi Arabia where he held talks with former Premier Saad Hariri and a number of Saudi officials, reported al-Joumhouria newspaper on Saturday.

Sources monitoring his talks with Hariri said that “all obstacles leading to the solution over the government deadlock remain.”

Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam has revealed that his cabinet formation efforts haven't yet made progress as reportedly an envoy of Progressive Socialist Party chief Walid Jumblat returned from Saudi Arabia empty handed.

Salam told several local dailies published Thursday that strong efforts were being exerted in the cabinet formation process despite the lack of a solution so far.

Parliament's bureau will on Wednesday set the agenda for a parliamentary session that is scheduled to vote on the extension of army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji's mandate, media reports have said.

LBCI TV said the session will be held in early July.

Efforts to form a new government are set to kick off next week in light of the visit of caretaker Social Affairs Minister Wael Abou Faour to Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam, reported the daily An Nahar Sunday.

The meeting, held three days ago, are set to kick-start the government talks, it said while revealing the Speaker Nabih Berri had contacted President Michel Suleiman to that end.