Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East Youhanna X al-Yazigi arrived Wednesday at the Our Lady of Balamand Monastery, on the first visit to Lebanon after his enthronement as the new Greek Orthodox leader.

The patriarch was welcomed by official and popular delegations.

The cabinet formed on Wednesday a committee headed by Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi to study the establishment of the independent authority overseeing the elections.

“The committee includes two judicial figures,” Information Minister Walid al-Daouq told reporters after the session that was held at the Baabda Palace.

The Lebanese Supreme Council in the Ministry of Justice took an unanimous decision on Monday to consider legal all civil marriages conducted in Lebanon by people that do not have any religious affiliation.

The council's decision hence contradicted with the Legislation and Counseling Committee at the ministry that rejected to legalize the civil marriage of Kholoud Succariyeh and Nidal Darwish, a Lebanese couple that wed by having their religious sects legally struck from their family registers under an article dating from the 1936 French mandate.

Army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji denied on Tuesday that the northeastern town of Arsal was besieged, saying the army had only deployed units in and around it.

“Arsal is not besieged by the army … Its units are deployed in it and around it and mainly on the side of the border with Syria,” Qahwaji told President Michel Suleiman during talks at Baabda palace.

President Michel Suleiman stated on Tuesday that the Lebanese will be among the people who will most miss Pope Benedict XVI in light of his decision to resign.

He saluted his “bold and wise decision”, comparing it to that of former Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir who stepped down in 2011.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati stressed on Tuesday that his cabinet is committed to hold the parliamentary elections on time.

“Polls will be carried out on June 9 according to the current draft-law,” Miqati told reports at the Grand Serail.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat accused some “outsiders” of seeking to tarnish Arsal's image, demanding that all sides support the army and refrain from victimizing the Bekaa town.

He said in his weekly editorial in the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa website: “Some small MPs and sons of MPs are exploiting the confusion within the Mustaqbal Movement in order to achieve governmental gain.”

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi will head to Iraq and Russia soon after he made a short visit to Syria over the weekend.

According to An Nahar newspaper published on Monday, al-Rahi will head to Iraq during the upcoming two weeks to attend the enthronement of Louis Sako, the new patriarch of the Chaldean church.

The cabinet on Wednesday is expected to witness a heated debate over a proposal by Interior Minister Marwan Charbel to begin the formation of an independent authority overseeing the elections, local newspapers reported.

According to As Safir newspaper published on Monday, the March 8 alliance completely rejects holding the upcoming parliamentary elections based on the 1960 winner-takes-all system, which indicates that sharp differences over the matter will loom during the session at the Baabda Palace.

President Michel Suleiman expressed support on Saturday for Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi's expected visit to Syria.

The president called against “politicizing” al-Rahi's visit as it shouldn't be take out of its context.