Speaker Nabih Berri has launched an initiative for the adoption of a draft-law on the parliamentary elections that would consider Lebanon a single electoral district to appease both ex-PM Saad Hariri and Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat who have rejected proportionality.

Berri’s initiative lies in carrying out the polls in 2013 on the basis of a single electoral district through a proportional representation to form a parliament that would preserve the rights of sects and shares while limiting the high-level of sectarianism, As Safir daily reported Tuesday.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat has embarked on an initiative aimed at finding a settlement in the row over governmental spending, MTV reported on Monday.

“PSP's sources did not deny the presence of an initiative by Jumblat to resolve the financial dispute, but things have just started and they need further efforts,” the TV network reported.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat hoped on Monday that the government would tackle the people’s concerns without preconditions.

He urged in his weekly editorial in the PSP-affiliated al-Anabaa magazine political powers to exercise “some humility” in tackling pending issues at cabinet.

Interior Minister Marwan Charbel hoped that the parliamentary electoral law will be approved ahead of the 2013 elections, reported al-Liwaa newspaper on Saturday.

He told the newspaper that he hopes that the electoral law will be approved six months ahead of the polls because logistic preparations for the elections need that much time.

The major parliamentary blocs that make-up the cabinet have held a consultative meeting on the possibility of the March 14 opposition coalition’s resort to a vote of confidence on Ministers Jebran Bassil and Nicolas Sehnaoui, As Safir daily reported Friday.

The newspaper quoted informed sources as saying the blocs reached a conclusion that the opposition would not succeed in bringing down Premier Najib Miqati’s cabinet given that it is receiving Arab and international support.

Finance Minister Mohammed Safadi has blasted Premier Najib Miqati and Economy Minister Nicolas Nahhas for accusing him of seeking to take commissions in the deal to lease power-generating vessels.

Safadi challenged Miqati on Thursday, telling LBC’s Kalam al-Nass talk show that the prime minister should remove him from his post if any investigation proved that he had been seeking a commission.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat noted on Wednesday that implementing reform would help end the crisis in Bahrain.

He stressed in a statement the need to “launch political dialogue between the ruling authorities and the opposition in order to reach a political solution that can bolster stability in the kingdom.”

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat could be the second on the list of potential targets against Lebanese politicians following the assassination attempt on Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea, a high-ranking March 14 source said Wednesday.

The source told al-Joumhouria daily that Jumblat is most at risk after Geagea following a decision to launch “a campaign of intimidation and physical elimination” against the politicians.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati held talks last week away from the media spotlight with Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat, revealed the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat on Monday.

Ministerial sources said that the talks focused on the government deadlock over a number of issues, with the premier stressing that he will avoid a dispute with the MP “at all costs.”

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat on Sunday stressed that his support for the Syrian uprising does not imply a change in his domestic alliances, noting that his ministers will not resign from Premier Najib Miqati’s government.

“We stress the firm stances: we will stay in this government and we are with (Hizbullah’s) weapons in order to defend Lebanon in the face of Israel, but we reject the use of arms domestically,” Jumblat said during a meeting with his party’s cadres in the Mount Lebanon town of al-Khalwat.