Meetings expected to be held by the country's top leaders on the sidelines of an Iftar banquet at Baabda palace next Tuesday are expected to facilitate the cabinet formation process, ministerial sources said.

Sources said on Saturday that President Michel Suleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri, Caretaker Premier Najib Miqati and Premier-designate Tammam Salam are expected to meet on the sidelines of the Iftar.

Hizbullah MP Mohammed Raad visited President Michel Suleiman on Tuesday, the first such meeting between the two sides after the head of state's criticism of the party's involvement in the fighting in Syria.

The meeting lasted 45 minutes and Raad left the presidential palace without making any statement.

President Michel Suleiman called on Turkey to exert more pressure to release the abducted Lebanese in the Syrian town of Aazaa.

Suleiman stressed during his meeting on Wednesday with the Turkish Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim at the Presidential Palace in Baabda that such pressure helps enhance relations between Lebanon and Turkey.

President Michel Suleiman underwent on Wednesday a scheduled medical check-up at the Clinique du Levant in Mkalles, the presidency said in a statement.

According to the presidential palace, Suleiman, 65, is well and resumed his activity shortly at the Baabda Palace.

Syndicate Coordination Committee protesters squabbled on Wednesday with head of the vehicle registration authority in Dekwaneh after he prevented them from entering its premises.

Head of the authority, Colonel George Lattouf, banned the protesters from entering the premises causing anger among their ranks, the state-run National News Agency reported.

Protesters demanding the government to refer the public sector wage scale to parliament for approval held a sit-in near Baabda palace on Tuesday as the cabinet met to discuss several controversial issues.

The protest was organized by the Syndicate Coordination Committee, a coalition of private and public school teachers and public sector employees, whose open-ended strike entered its third week.

Qatar is ready to pay a $5 million ransom to free the Lebanese pilgrims, who were kidnapped in Syria on May 22, unnamed sources told An-Nahar daily Friday.

General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim is following up closely on the controversial file and has met with President Michel Suleiman three times in ten days after his visit to Qatar and Turkey in January.

The cabinet on Wednesday is expected to witness a heated debate over a proposal by Interior Minister Marwan Charbel to begin the formation of an independent authority overseeing the elections, local newspapers reported.

According to As Safir newspaper published on Monday, the March 8 alliance completely rejects holding the upcoming parliamentary elections based on the 1960 winner-takes-all system, which indicates that sharp differences over the matter will loom during the session at the Baabda Palace.

The cabinet rejected on Wednesday during a session at the Grand Serail to provide the Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau with the full text messages data (SMS), saying that it will only hand over the data of “suspicious” numbers.

Telecommunications Minister Nicolas Sehnaoui announced that the government rejected unanimously the security agency's request, deciding to agree strictly to hand over the content of the “suspicious” numbers.

President Michel Suleiman hailed on Monday as successful a security plan implemented by the Lebanese Army in the northern city of Tripoli as Prime Minister Najib Miqati hoped the situation there would remain under control following a week of deadly gunbatttles.

“The implementation of the security plan drawn by security officials began yesterday (Sunday) and it seems that it has so far given a positive effect,” Suleiman told a cabinet session held at Baabda palace.