Prime Minister Najib Miqati slammed on Saturday the Orthodox Gathering electoral draft law, stressing that the proposal will not be adopted as it violates the “essence of Lebanon's existence and mutual coexistence.”

“We must achieve real representation for all Lebanese sects through reaching an agreement on an electoral law that does not harm coexistence,” Miqati said via twitter.

President Michel Suleiman is committed to the government's electoral draft law, reported the daily An Nahar Saturday.

Sources close to the president revealed however that he is open to amendments to it in a hope that it would become accepted by all political powers.

Phalange Party MP Sami Gemayel lashed out on Friday at Lebanese authorities for not suspending diplomatic ties with the neighboring country Syria after the judiciary demanded the death penalty for a Syrian security official.

Gemayel wondered how the Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon, Ali Abdul Karim Ali, wasn't expelled or summoned.

Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel and two judges from the Higher Committee for Consultations discussed on Friday the controversial civil marriage in Lebanon.

Qortbawi, Charbel and Judges Sami Mansour and Marwan Karkabi held the talks at the justice ministry, the National News Agency said. The third member of the Committee, Judge Omar al-Natour, failed to attend the meeting for being abroad.

Qatar is ready to pay a $5 million ransom to free the Lebanese pilgrims, who were kidnapped in Syria on May 22, unnamed sources told An-Nahar daily Friday.

General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim is following up closely on the controversial file and has met with President Michel Suleiman three times in ten days after his visit to Qatar and Turkey in January.

The main Christian political forces on Thursday expressed "openness to any proposal that ensures proper representation" for Christians in parliament, following a broad meeting at the seat of the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkirki.

"The conferees reiterated their stances and evaluated the current phase concerning the new electoral law in light of the meeting of the joint parliamentary committees, expressing openness to any proposal that ensures proper representation for all the Lebanese groups, according to the principles of the constitution," said a statement issued by Bkirki after the talks.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague on Thursday urged President Bashar Assad's regime to respond positively to an offer of dialogue by Syrian opposition chief Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib.

"There has been a very important offer of negotiation by Khatib of the National Coalition. It is important that that offer is responded to with serious negotiations by the Assad regime," Hague told reporters after holding talks in Beirut with Lebanese President Michel Suleiman.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague urged on Thursday for consensus among rival lawmakers on an electoral draft-law and welcomed Lebanon's commitment to cooperate with Bulgarian authorities on the probe into a deadly attack on Israeli tourists last year.

“In these difficult times, it is important that political forces in Lebanon come together in a spirit of dialogue and consensus to agree a process that respects the constitutional timetable for this year's elections,” Hague said after talks with President Michel Suleiman at Baabda palace.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati reiterated on Thursday that Lebanon is keen on the best of relations with Arab countries and rejects meddling in their internal affairs.

During a meeting with a delegation of diplomats from Gulf Cooperation Council countries at the Grand Serail, Miqati stressed “the best of ties with the friendly Arab countries and mainly GCC states.”

Al-Mustaqbal MP Ahmed Fatfat criticized on Thursday Speaker Nabih Berri, accusing him of backing down on his promises to the parliamentary bloc by prompting the joint parliamentary committees to vote on the so-called Orthodox Gathering electoral draft-law.

“I am convinced that Berri's endeavors weren't (innocent), he had plans to push forward the adoption of the proposal,” Fatfat said in comments published in As Safir newspaper.