A meeting of March 14 independent figures held a meeting on Friday to discuss a new parliamentary electoral law in light of Interior Minister Marwan Charbel's opening of the door for nominees to submit their candidacies, reported the daily An Nahar Saturday.

MP Butros Harb told the daily that the talks focused on a law that “offers fair representation for Christians, while maintaining national unity.”

Efforts are ongoing between members of the March 14 camp and other political powers in Lebanon in order to reach an agreement over a new parliamentary electoral law, reported the daily An Nahar Saturday.

Head of the Mustaqbal bloc Fouad Saniora's circles told the daily that the discussions, which have been described as “positive”, included the bloc, March 14 figures, and the Progressive Socialist Party.

Speaker Nabih Berri expressed hope on Saturday that the political foes will soon reach common ground over a hybrid electoral law that would serve as an alternative for the 1960 and the so-called Orthodox Gathering laws.

“We should create an alternative electoral law that gathers the proportional and winners-take-all systems to replace the 1960 and Orthodox laws,” Berri's visitors quoted him as saying.

Internal Security Forces chief Ashraf Rifi honored on Friday the informer in the case of former Minister Michel Samaha.

He described Milad Kfouri as a “citizen who demonstrated special patriotism because he uncovered a dangerous plot” against the country.

The judicial council interrogated on Friday a third batch of Islamists over their links to the 2007 Nahr al-Bared clashes.

It interrogated 21 detainees ahead of their trial.

President Michel Suleiman called on Friday for a bigger role for women in public life in Lebanon and hoped they would increase their participation in political and administrative work.

On the occasion of International Women's Day, Suleiman hoped that “women would be able to play a wider role in public life and participate in broader aspects of national responsibilities, in politics and administration, in addition to their social role.”

The fourth annual report on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s activities was sent this week to Prime Minister Najib Miqati and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

“Our aim is to help the people of Lebanon restore in full the operation of the rule of law in Lebanon, so that they and their families may enjoy the peace and tranquility that is their birthright,” STL President Judge Sir David Baragwanath, noted in the report, which is available on the Tribunal's website.

Al-Mustaqbal bloc leader Fouad Saniora slammed on Friday Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour for “violating the constitution” in calling the Arab League to scrap a decision to suspend Syria's membership without coordinating with the president and the prime minister.

Saniora expressed “surprise” at Mansour's call during the Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo on Wednesday, saying he neglected the stance of President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister Najib Miqati “in a totally unconstitutional way.”

Interior Minister Marwan Charbel issued an order on Friday for nominees wishing to run in the parliamentary elections to submit their candidacies.

The nominees should submit their request at the Interior Ministry headquarters in Beirut between March 11 and April 10.

On a dusty field in Israel's southern desert, the military is gearing up for the next battle against a familiar foe: Hizbullah fighters in Lebanon.

As the Syrian civil war intensifies, military planners are growing increasingly jittery that the fighting could spill over into Israel, potentially dragging the party that is allied with President Bashar Assad into the fray. After battling Hizbullah to a stalemate in 2006, the Israeli military says it has learned key lessons and is prepared to inflict heavy damage on the group if fighting begins again.