Opposition MP Butros Harb revealed on Tuesday that the case of the assassination of MP Gebran Tueni may be referred to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon should the Lebanese judiciary fail to address the matter.

He added: “A lawsuit has been filed against Syrian officers linked to the lawmaker's assassination.”

The joint parliamentary committees discussed for the second time on Thursday the government's electoral draft-law amid deep divisions between different parliamentary blocs on the districts and the type of electoral system despite an initial agreement on resolving the issue within a certain timeframe.

The government's draft-law divides Lebanon into 13 medium-sized districts based on proportional representation. But huge differences between the March 8 majority coalition and the opposition March 14 alliance are likely to spiral out of control.

A judicial authority will prevent on Wednesday security agencies from obtaining the telecom data after it extended the deadline until the end of Pope Benedict XVl's three-day visit to Lebanon.

Sources in the authority told As Safir newspaper that giving the complete telecom data to security forces to track crimes violates the constitution and it can't resume.

The joint parliamentary committees convened on Wednesday to tackle the government-approved electoral law.

Media reports said however that the session was later suspended over a lack of quorum when opposition MPs withdrew from the meeting.

President Michel Suleiman is expected to tackle the national defense strategy at a national dialogue session on Thursday, media reports said.

Al-Joumhouria newspaper reported on Monday that Suleiman will discuss with Lebanese foes the matter after conferees at the last national dialogue session, held at Beiteddine palace on August 16, decided to postpone discussing it due to the absence of several members, in particular, Speaker Nabih Berri.

The head of the Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc MP Fouad Saniora handed on Tuesday President Michel Suleiman a March 14 memo that reiterates the opposition’s call for the expulsion of Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdul Karim Ali and the control of the Lebanese border with Syria through U.N. help.

The memorandum also called for the formation of a national salvation government and filing a complaint to the Arab League over Syria’s repeated border violations.

A committee of representatives of four major Christian parties is expected to meet in the coming days to announce its stance from a new electoral draft-law approved by the government amid clear differences in the viewpoints of its members, An Nahar daily reported on Wednesday.

Bkirki sources refused to comment on the draft but stressed that it supports a law that represents all Lebanese sects in the best way and guarantees equality between all confessions and Lebanese parties.

President Michel Suleiman presided a meeting on Monday to tackle the latest developments on the so-called telecom data handed to security agencies investigating assassination plots against Lebanese officials, al-Akhbar daily reported.

The meeting, its second since July 21, was attended by Prime Minister Najib Miqati, involved ministers and the security chiefs, the newspaper said.

Security agencies have received the complete telecom data of the Touch mobile phone service provider, revealed security sources to the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat Sunday.

They are set to receive the complete data from Lebanon’s second provider, Alfa, in the upcoming hours, they added.

President Michel Suleiman will resume his efforts on Monday to bring back all the members of the all-party talks to the national dialogue table as the only solution to Lebanon’s lingering problems, his sources said.

The sources told An Nahar daily published Saturday that he will make new contacts on Monday will the parties from across the political spectrum as part of his efforts to convince the March 14 opposition into ending its boycott of the dialogue.