President Michel Suleiman has halted the decision to promote officers in all security institutions because of the objection over the promotion of the head of the Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau Wissam al-Hassan, reported the daily An Nahar on Saturday.

Prominent March 14 sources told the daily that Suleiman froze the promotions at the behest of Hizbullah and Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun over their opposition to Hassan’s promotion.

President Michel Suleiman and PM Najib Miqati arrived at Jeita Grotto on Thursday in support of the national campaign to vote for the cave to become one of the new seven wonders of nature.

They were welcomed by the Minister of Tourism Fady Abboud and the chief of Jeita Municipality Samir Baroud, as well as the head of the Jeita Mayor Association.

The March 14 forces are coordinating their stances ahead of a possible announcement by Premier Najib Miqati that his government would refuse to fund the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, opposition leadership sources said.

The sources told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat that former Premier Saad Hariri, who is currently aboard, is holding large-scale consultations in case Miqati announces that his negotiations with the March 8 forces on the STL funding have reached a dead-end.

A lack of verbal clashes at the cabinet session that tackled the 2012 draft state budget on Tuesday was described by parliamentary sources as “the calm before the political storm.”

The sources said that the calm during the session came amid expected “political storms” when cabinet ministers begin debating the issue of the funding of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

President Michel Suleiman hoped on Tuesday that Israel would release all prisoners in its jails, urging it to resume peace negotiations based on the 2002 Arab peace initiative.

He said: “The prisoner swap between Israel and the Palestinians should stand as a lesson to Israel that its policies of war and aggression are useless.”

The cabinet launches on Tuesday what would most probably be protracted discussions on the draft state budget which includes the controversial funding of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

The first government session on the 2012 budget will be held at Baabda palace on Tuesday afternoon. Ministerial sources told An Nahar daily that discussions will start with an overview of the budget that is drafted by Finance Minister Mohammed Safadi.

President Michel Suleiman stressed on Monday that social justice is a state duty, adding that it is no longer acceptable that unethical politics serve the economy.

He said during the launch of a program to support poor families in Lebanon: “The state is obligated to combat poverty.”

Premier Najib Miqati’s sources have shrugged off rumors that he would quit, telling Beirut dailies on Monday that the government will continue to work after it succeeded in guaranteeing stability.

“All the information (about the resignation) is just wishes and attempts to create a tumult,” the sources said.

Hizbullah and its allies have left Prime Minister Najib Miqati with very little room to maneuver regarding the funding of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, reported the Kuwaiti al-Seyassah newspaper on Sunday.

The parliamentary majority believes that the decision to fund the tribunal lies in its hands and not the premier.

President Michel Suleiman and Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun are bickering over the appointments of top civil servants to administrative posts reserved for Christians, informed sources said.

The sources told As Safir daily published Saturday that Suleiman and Aoun have conflicting viewpoints on vacant posts, particularly the presidency of the Higher Judicial Council.