Spokesman for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon Marten Youssef stated that certain conditions need to be met in order for the assassination of MP Gebran Tueni to be added to the cases tackled by the tribunal, reported An Nahar daily on Wednesday.

He told the daily that the date of the assassination falls within the timeframe of the crimes that may be addressed by the STL.

Speaker Nabih Berri is continuing his efforts to reach an agreement among various political powers on a new parliamentary electoral law, reported An Nahar daily on Tuesday, as Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea met ex-PM Saad Hariri in Jeddah on Tuesday evening.

Talks between Geagea and Hariri tackled the latest developments in Lebanon and the region, according to Future TV which is affiliated with Hariri's Mustaqbal Movement.

The security agencies, AMAL movement, and Hizbullah agreed on a scenario to help implement a security plan that will kick off this week in the Bekaa region, al-Akhbar daily reported on Monday.

The plan to control the spread of outlaws, thieves, carjacking and kidnapping fanning out in the eastern region aims to gain the people's support in a bid to assist the Lebanese army's mission and make it a success, the daily added.

Speaker Nabih Berri is seeking to ease the differences between the various Lebanese powers over the new parliamentary electoral law, reported An Nahar daily on Monday.

Information obtained by the daily revealed that the speaker, through Hizbullah's backing, had held separate talks with Mustaqbal bloc head MP Fouad Saniora, National Struggle Front ministers, and Phalange Party MP Sami Gemayel to that end.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat stated that political difference should never escalate into armed clashes, regardless of how great the dispute, reported al-Joumhouria newspaper on Saturday.

He said before his visitors while reminiscing about the “futile” Lebanese civil war: “At the time, no human would ever have imagined that the Islamic resistance would turn its arms towards the internal scene.”

Speaker Nabih Berri cabled on Friday Syrian President Bashar Assad on the occasion of the anniversary of the October 1973 Arab-Israeli War.

He said: “Your country is passing through one of its most difficult tests and I am certain that your experience in defying Israel will enable you to overcome your current crisis.”

Speaker Nabih Berri expressed on Wednesday that a law based on small electorates suits the interests of some parties only, denying that is gives a just representation of the entire Lebanese Christian community.

Berri's message was transmitted by lawmakers he met after his weekly discussions with Lebanese MPs in Ain al-Tineh. During the meetings, the Speaker also announced the formation of a unit that will be dedicated to studying proposed electoral draft laws.

Deputy Speaker Farid Makari proposed the formation of a subcommittee to study whether to adopt the winner-takes-all or proportional representation systems and the size of the electoral districts in the new parliamentary electoral law and to carry out consultations with the rival political parties over the matter..

Speaker Nabih Berri agreed to Makari's suggestion as long as the joint parliamentary committees continue discussing the remaining articles in the draft law referred by the cabinet.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati stressed on Tuesday that he is holding on to the electoral draft law referred by his cabinet to the parliament, saying that any proposal that contradicts the Taef accord is rejected.

“If there is any defection in the distribution of districts in our draft law then the parliament can amend them,” Miqati told reporters after holding talks with Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain el-Tineh.

Speaker Nabih Berri stressed that he refuses to make any political maneuvers against his partners in Lebanon regarding the new parliamentary electoral law, reported the daily An Nahar on Monday.

He told the daily: “I will go ahead with an agreement reached by Christians over a new law.”