Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati informed on Saturday the Higher Islamic Council that he is facing obstacles in the government formation process, reported the daily An Nahar on Sunday.

He added that he had told it that “I have taken it upon myself to serve my country and its stability.”

Relatives of Lebanese expatriates stranded in civil war-torn Ivory Coast staged a sit-in Sunday in front of Lebanon's foreign ministry in Beirut, demanding a solution to the humanitarian crisis.

A number of expats who had managed to return to Lebanon also took part in the sit-in.

Internal Security Forces chief Ashraf Rifi revealed that no injuries were reported during Saturday’s protest at Roumieh prison, adding that no one was taken hostage by any of the protestors.

He told An Nahar in remarks published on Sunday: “The inmates have demands and we are working on fulfilling them if they are justified.”

Speaker Nabih Berri condemned criticism directed against the policy that was used in addressing Lebanese expatriates in the Ivory Coast given the dispute between President Laurent Gbagbo and incumbent President Alassane Outtara.

He told An Nahar in remarks published on Sunday: “Lebanon’s decision to stand by Gbagbo was right because tens of thousands of expatriates in Abidjan live in areas that he controls.”

A group of angry Lebanese youths on Saturday threw stones and bottles at a group from the U.S. embassy visiting the southern port city of Sidon, a security official said.

A spokesman for the U.S. mission confirmed there had been "an incident."

President Michel Suleiman hoped on Saturday for the return of stability to Syria and expressed his confidence in the Assad regime’s ability to overcome the crisis.

Suleiman made the remark during talks with the Secretary-General of the Lebanese-Syrian Higher Council, Nasri Khoury.

Grand Mufti Mohammad Rashid Qabbani said Saturday that he suggested to Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi to hold an Islamic-Christian summit in Bkirki.

Qabbani made his remark after visiting al-Rahi at the seat of the Maronite church to congratulate him on his new post.

Premier-designate Najib Miqati said Saturday that progress was made on consultations aimed at forming the new government but stressed that he hasn’t yet reached the cabinet formation stage.

“The atmosphere is positive … I will continue to work on overcoming difficulties,” Miqati said during a meeting of the Higher Islamic Council under Grand Mufti Mohammad Rashid Qabbani at Dar al-Fatwa.

A Middle East Airlines plane that was scheduled to evacuate Lebanese from conflict-torn Ivory Coast on Saturday morning was delayed again to guarantee the flight’s safety, Voice of Lebanon radio station reported Saturday.

The MEA flight will now leave on Saturday night rather than 8:00 am, it said after authorities in the African country opened air traffic.

Contacts aimed at forming the new government made a “serious progress” on the differences over the Sunni representation and the share of Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun’s Change and Reform bloc, As Safir daily reported Saturday.

An Nahar newspaper also said that intense meetings between Premier-designate Najib Miqati and March 8 officials led to an agreement on the shares of each side but the leaders are staying mum on the issue.