Speaker Nabih Berri hinted that the ongoing contacts to form a new cabinet have so far failed to reach common ground, criticizing those who began classifying themselves as centrists while they are “clearly affiliated in the March 14 alliance.”

“Those centrists want a large share of the 24-member cabinet... Maybe I should start classifying myself as a centrist,” Berri told several local newspapers on Wednesday.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, who is currently abroad, dispatched on Tuesday Beirut Bishop Boulos Matar to President Michel Suleiman, al-Mustaqbal bloc leader Fouad Saniora and caretaker Minister Wael Abou Faour as part of efforts to resolve the elections crisis.

“We discussed the elections and the electoral law that we are looking forward to in Lebanon,” the bishop said after meeting Saniora.

Caretaker Social Affairs Minister Wael Abu Faour on Monday announced that a progress has been made in the cabinet formation process, revealing that an preliminary agreement has been reached on the “general formula” of the new government.

“As usual, the meeting with Speaker Berri was part of the continuous consultations and coordination between Speaker Berri and National Struggle Front head Walid Jumblat over two issues: the electoral law and the cabinet,” Abu Faour said after talks in Ain al-Tineh.

Progressive Socialist Party chief MP Walid Jumblat condemned on Monday the Israeli attack against Syria, saying it further complicates the conflict in the neighboring country.

“The attack offers the Syrian regime an excuse to accuse the opposition of collaborating with Israeli,” Jumblat told al-Anbaa.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi's envoy Beirut bishop Boulos Matar stressed the need for political powers to reach an agreement over a new parliamentary electoral law and staging the polls, various media reports said Saturday.

According to al-Joumhouria, Matar quoted al-Rahi as saying: “Lebanon will lose the respect of several countries if its failed to agree on a vote law and stage the elections.”

President Michel Suleiman is expected to hold talks on the government formation process with Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam upon his return to Lebanon next week, reported al-Liwaa newspaper Saturday.

Informed sources told the daily that the president is set to propose to Salam three government formulas to study.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat stated that the political powers “without exception” can reach an agreement over the hybrid parliamentary electoral law, while voicing his disappointment with Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's latest speech, reported As Safir newspaper Friday.

He told the daily: “The hybrid law can help ease the political and religious monopolization of power.”

Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam is committed to the formation of a political 24-minister government capable of staging the parliamentary elections and which none of the political powers would enjoy a blocking minority, reported the daily al-Joumhouria Friday.

It said that the new cabinet would distribute portfolios equally between the March 8 and 14 camps, with centrists also enjoying the same number of ministers, whereby each of the camps would obtain eight ministers.

Christian leaders are expected to hold talks in Bkirki under the auspices of Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi to coordinate their stance over the electoral law dispute.

According to An Nahar newspaper published on Friday, the meeting will be held ahead of a parliamentary session set on May 15 to vote on the Orthodox Gathering proposal that was approved by the joint parliamentary committees.

Speaker Nabih Berri continued on Tuesday his consultations with various political powers to reach an agreement over a new parliamentary electoral law, reported As Safir newspaper Wednesday.

It said that he held a meeting with Mustaqbal MP Ahmed Fatfat and Phalange MP Sami Gemayel to that end and during which he proposed a law based on 13 districts and the winner-takes-all and proportional representation systems.