President Michel Suleiman called on Wednesday for the commitment to the Baabda Declaration, saying statements made by Lebanese politicians against Bahrain don't reflect the government's policy.

Addressing cabinet ministers during a session held at Baabda palace, Suleiman said: “We hold onto the best of ties with Bahrain and its government.”

Finance Minister Mohammed al-Safadi expressed on Wednesday his disbelief over the Christians' approval of the Orthodox Gathering parliamentary electoral law, saying that these forces that have been leaders in “national partnership and modernity” have been forced to “isolate themselves in a departure from their pioneering role.”

He therefore urged in a statement “President Michel Suleiman and Speaker Nabih Berri, due to their respective Christians and Shiite role, to announce a state of political emergency that would help the Lebanese return to national dialogue.”

British Foreign Secretary William Hague is expected to arrive in Lebanon this week on a short visit to meet with senior officials in a tour that includes several countries in the region.

As Safir newspaper reported on Tuesday that Hague will tackle several issues with President Michel Suleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Najib Miqati, and his counterpart FM Adnan Mansour.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat noted on Monday that constantly debating the possession of arms outside of the authority of the state will not help resolve this issue, stating that President Michel Suleiman had clearly stipulated that the national dialogue will help settle this dispute.

He said in his weekly editorial in the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa website: “Adhering to Baabda Declaration and Suleiman's principles is necessary to redirect the arms to their rightful role away from the Syrian crisis.”

President Michel Suleiman hoped on Monday that lawmakers would work for the nation's interest in their attempt to agree on a modern electoral law that should avoid worsening the sectarian divide.

In a statement issued by the presidential palace, Suleiman hoped that the joint parliamentary committees, which convened for four days on Monday, would “take into consideration the national interest and work for holding the elections on time out of their respect for the basic principle of rotation of power.”

Patriarch of Antioch and All the East Youhanna X Yazigi celebrated mass at the St. Nicolas Cathedral in Beirut's Ashrafiyeh district on Sunday in the presence of the country's top political and spiritual leaders.

President Michel Suleiman, Prime Minister Najib Miqati, Phalange leader Amin Gemayel and Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi were among several politicians and clergymen attending the mass.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati stressed on Saturday that the Lebanese government respects the sovereignty of all countries, in particular, the Arab states.

“The government doesn't interfere in the local affairs of other Arab states and considers all the political rhetoric expresses the opinion of those who say them,” Miqati said in a telephone conversation with Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour.

Speaker Nabih Berri revealed that the joint parliamentary committees will tackle the Orthodox Gathering electoral draft law proposal should the electoral subcommittee fail to reach an agreement over the hybrid law, reported the daily An Nahar Saturday.

Berri told the daily that he is awaiting the final decision of the subcommittee, which is set to meet twice for the final time on Saturday, over the hybrid law.

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun stated that an agreement over a new parliamentary electoral law, specifically the Orthodox Gathering draft law, is not linked to constitutional rules, reported al-Akhbar newspaper on Friday.

He told the newspaper: “President Michel Suleiman should not bother rejecting the law because it does not require consensus seeing as it is an electoral mechanism.”

President Michel Suleiman expressed on Thursday his sympathy with “all those who lost a loved one.

He made a special mention to the widows of slain officer Pierre Bashaalani and Ibrahim Zahraman through a tweet on the occasion of Valentine's Day.