Caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri has reportedly told former U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman that he would abolish Hizbullah once the Lebanese army is consolidated.

In a WikiLeaks cable published by al-Akhbar daily on Monday, Hariri told Feltman during a meeting in Qoreitem on August 20, 2006 that as long as the army is weaker than Hizbullah, then it should be in a less threatening position.

Speaker Nabih Berri has unveiled that the cabinet formation process began heating up but stressed that he won’t make any statement before guaranteeing that the government lineup received the consent of all parties.

Berri made the remark to An Nahar newspaper following his meeting with Premier-designate Najib Miqati on Thursday night.

The inauguration mass of Beshara al-Rahi, the country’s 77th Maronite patriarch, is scheduled to be held in Bkirki on Friday afternoon with the attendance of the country’s top leaders.

President Michel Suleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri, caretaker Premier Saad Hariri and Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati will participate in the ceremony that is scheduled to start at 5:00 pm. Cabinet Ministers, MPs, party leaders, diplomats, heads of the country’s different sects and other dignitaries will also attend the event which will be followed by a dinner to be hosted by al-Rahi.

The Lebanese were optimistic on Friday that the new government would be formed within days after a new draft lineup proposed by Premier-designate Najib Miqati reportedly received the consent of major political parties.

“Lebanon will have a government before the end of the month. The next few days are decisive and crucial,” a source close to Miqati told several Lebanese dailies.

The leadership of Hizbullah has informed its officials not to travel to Syria after the recent violent events in the southern city of Daraa, according to An Nahar daily on Friday.

The newspaper said that the Shiite party’s advisory on Thursday night came because Hizbullah organizes weekly trips to Damascus to visit the Sayyeda Zainab shrine.

Caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri held talks Thursday evening at the Center House with Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and MP Strida Geagea on “the latest political developments in the country,” the premier’s press office said.

Earlier Thursday Hariri stressed that his political camp was not seeking to “eliminate anyone.”

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea stated on Thursday that the March 14 camp does not deny what was reported in the recently published WikiLeaks cables.

He said during a press conference: “All that was said in the cables, I repeat every day. All that we stated is true and we are free to perceive them as we wish.”

A diplomatic source stated on Thursday that Lebanon is following with interest the situation of Lebanese expatriates in Bahrain given the recent tension between Lebanon and the Gulf state.

The source told the Central News Agency that Lebanese caretaker Foreign Minister Ali Shami requested from the Lebanese Ambassador to Bahrain Aziz al-Qazzi to remain in constant contact with the approximately 4,500 Lebanese residing in Bahrain.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat stated that contacts between him and caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri are completely severed, saying that he will not agree to an individual reconciliation with him.

He said in an interview in Al-Afkar magazine that will be published on Friday: “I support Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati and if Hariri believes that Miqati betrayed him, then he should explain his statement or retract it. It is best if he reconsiders his position.”

Caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri may postpone his visit to the Bekaa Valley due to prior engagements, according to sources in al-Mustaqbal movement.

Al-Akhbar newspaper on Thursday pointed out that al-Mustaqbal had already prepared for his trip to the Bekaa and had booked Park Hotel in Chtaura for three days.