U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Diplomacy Amos Hochstein and Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Lawrence Silverman visited Lebanon Monday and met with senior officials to discuss the political, economic and security situation in Lebanon and other regional issues, said the U.S. Embassy in a statement.

They had meetings with President Michel Suleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Najib Miqati, and Minister of Energy Jebran Bassil.

Speaker Nabih Berri stressed Monday that the authority that will oversee the parliamentary elections will not be established for being part of a “dead” electoral law.

The Hizbullah-led March 8 alliance will vote against it if it was put on the agenda of the cabinet, Berri told As Safir newspaper.

President Michel Suleiman met with Prime Minister Najib Miqati on Sunday and the two statesmen discussed the latest developments on the Lebanese scene, the National News Agency reported.

Later on Sunday, sources confirmed to al-Manar television that Suleiman and Miqati discussed the formation of a committee to oversee the electoral process, as well as the law to be adopted and the upcoming cabinet session scheduled to take place on March 21.

Speaker Nabih Berri is hopeful that rival parliamentary blocs would find an alternative to the 1960 electoral law and the so-called Orthodox Gathering proposal by agreeing on a hybrid draft-law.

“Don't be afraid of the time factor. We still have three and a half months until the elections are held on June 9 and I believe there is enough time to agree on a new law if all the parties are willing to reach consensus,” officials, who visited Berri, quoted him as saying.

Environment Minister Nazem al-Khoury stressed Sunday that President Michel Suleiman will not back off from his support for the establishment of the authority that will supervise the parliamentary elections in June and would take the necessary measures if the March 8 majority alliance rejected it.

In remarks to An Nahar newspaper, al-Khoury, who is close to the president, said Suleiman will return from an African tour on March 20 and will chair a cabinet session the next day to establish the authority and agree on the funding for the polls.

President Michel Suleiman stressed on Saturday that any stance taken by government officials, in particular, the Foreign Minister should reflect the state's dissociation policy.

“Stances taken by government officials and ministers, in particular the FM, in international forums should reflect (the dissociation policy) without any confusion,” Suleiman said after talks with FM Adnan Mansour at the Baabda Palace.

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.”

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.

President Michel Suleiman is expected to hold talks with Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour to ask him about his recent statements over Syria at the Arab Foreign Ministers meeting, media reports said on Friday.

“Suleiman will discuss the matter with Mansour, although he believes he had good intentions,” Baabda Palace sources told al-Mustaqbal newspaper.