Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun criticized on Tuesday Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati’s performance so far in forming a government, accusing him of wasting his time and not wanting to form the Cabinet.

He said after the FPM’s weekly meeting: “We have presented all we can to facilitate its formation, but the premier-designate does not want it to be established.”

Libya's rebels have accepted an invitation to open a representative office in Washington, top United States official Jeffrey Feltman said on Tuesday.

"I delivered a formal invitation to the council for the opening of a representation in Washington," Feltman told a news conference, referring to the rebels' National Transitional Council.

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat has unveiled that U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman sought during his visit to Beirut last week to coordinate with Lebanese officials attempts to issue a U.N. Security Council resolution against Syria.

Jumblat told Hizbullah’s al-Manar TV on Monday night that he disagreed with Feltman on his view and stressed to him that “any decision to isolate Syria would not do any good.”

Premier-designate Najib Miqati has stressed that he would not form a government of “cantons” or grant portfolios to political parties in order to turn them into “feudal” entities.

“I told everyone without exception and not only the general (Michel Aoun) as is being rumored, to give me lists of portfolios that they are seeking and lists of names that they suggest so that I would distribute the portfolios on the names in accordance with my authorities and the authorities of the president,” Miqati was quoted as saying by al-Akhbar daily on Tuesday.

The United States on Monday called on Moammar Gadhafi to leave Libya as Washington's most senior envoy to date held talks in the rebel capital in another boost to forces fighting to oust the strongman.

Washington's call came a day after the European Union opened an office in the rebel bastion of Benghazi to show its "long term" support to the rebels who took their diplomatic offensive to NATO's sole Muslim member Turkey.

President Michel Suleiman asserted to U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman that Lebanese-Syrian ties “are as old as the two countries,” reported As Safir newspaper on Monday.

His statements came as a response to the U.S. official’s inquiry about Lebanon’s position on the developments in Syria, which Feltman was surprised by, according to the newspaper.

Speaker Nabih Berri slammed what he called the blatant meddling of U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman in Lebanon’s internal affairs.

In remarks to As Safir daily on Monday, Berri stressed that he took the right decision not to hold talks with Feltman after he read the statement issued over the diplomat’s visit to Beirut on Friday.

Hizbullah MPs have said that U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman has informed President Michel Suleiman and Premier-designate Najib Miqati that the new cabinet should not be formed.

The MPs told pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat in remarks published Sunday that Feltman carried a message to Suleiman and Miqati that the government “should not witness light.”

Speaker Nabih Berri stated on Saturday that his busy schedule prevented him from meeting with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman on Friday.

He explained to reporters: “I was in the South and it helped me see the clear picture when he visited various officials, whom we all trust.”

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman ended his visit to Lebanon on Saturday after holding talks with a number of Lebanese officials on the government formation process, including President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati.

A U.S. Embassy statement said on Friday that he reiterated the U.S.'s view that the international community will assess its relationship with any new government of Lebanon based on the make-up of the next cabinet, its ministerial statement and the actions it takes in regard to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and Lebanon's other international obligations.