Protesters demanding the government to refer the public sector wage scale to parliament for approval held a sit-in near Baabda palace on Tuesday as the cabinet met to discuss several controversial issues.

The protest was organized by the Syndicate Coordination Committee, a coalition of private and public school teachers and public sector employees, whose open-ended strike entered its third week.

Speaker Nabih Berri criticized on Tuesday President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister Najib Miqati after inking an electoral decree the day before, pointing out that he will not call for a parliamentary session if no consensus over the electoral law was reached.

Berri wondered how some officials declare that they oppose the 1960 law, which is based on yjr winner-takes-all system, then work according to it, hinting at Suleiman and Miqati.

A decision by President Michel Suleiman to sign a decree that calls for parliamentary elections on June 9 was an administrative and not a political move, Baabda palace sources said Tuesday.

Suleiman signed the decree on Monday along with Prime Minister Najib Miqati, drawing the ire of the March 8 majority coalition over fears that the 1960 law that governed the polls in 2009 would be adopted in this year's elections amid lack of agreement in parliament on a new electoral draft-law.

President Michel Suleiman and Premier Najib Miqati signed on Monday the decree calling on electoral bodies to hold the parliamentary elections on June 9, the National News Agency reported.

"Signing the decree does not necessarily mean adopting the 1960's electoral law in the elections,” Suleiman noted, explaining that this step is a “constitutional commitment and responsibility”.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat noted on Monday that the rich history of Sidon should not be erased by the recent incidents that have taken place in the southern city.

He said in his weekly editorial in the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa website: “The authority of the state should be restored in Sidon in order to prevent the city from being dragged towards suspicious strife.”

U.S. Ambassador Maura Connelly expressed concern on Monday over the security situation in Lebanon and along its border, stressing that the parliamentary elections should be held on time.

“I share the concern about the security situation within Lebanon and along its borders,” Connelly said after talks with Speaker Nabih Berri.

President Michel Suleiman urged on Monday all parties to embrace the Lebanese Armed Forces after he praised them in preserving security and preventing strife, and warned against chaos.

In a statement issued by Baabda palace, Suleiman “lauded the role of the military and security forces, mainly the army, in preserving security and civil peace, and preventing strife at these difficult circumstances in the region.”

The Lebanese Forces and Phalange parties reiterated their rejection on Monday of adopting the 1960 electoral law that is based on winners-take-all system in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

LF bloc MP George Adwan revealed that the party is seeking to press forward the possibility of holding a parliamentary session to ensure that the 1960 law will not be adopted during the polls set to be held on June 9 and to obstruct attempts to extend the tenure of the current parliament.

Interior Minister Marwan Charbel stressed on Monday that the political consensus over ending the security chaos across the country facilitated the tasks of the security forces to control the situation across the country.

“The law will be implemented with all the available means,” Charbel said in comments to As Safir newspaper.

Head of private schools teachers association Nehme Mahfoud on Sunday warned that teachers might boycott official exams and their role as poll clerks in the upcoming parliamentary elections if the new wage scale was not referred to parliament, as Economy Minister Nicolas Nahhas revealed that 80% of the funding of the new scale has been provided.

"We're still part of the protest movement, contrary to all the rumors and misconceptions," Mahfoud said, after a meeting for the Syndicate Coordination Committee, a coalition of private and public school teachers and public sector employees.