The electricity draft law on producing 700 megawatts of power will be referred to parliament on Friday for it to be later referred to the joint committees in order to avert any stalling in its adoption.

Ministerial sources told As Safir newspaper in remarks published on Friday revealed that the logistical preparations to refer the law to parliament have been complete.

The political and verbal dispute between the Mustaqbal bloc and Speaker Nabih Berri has forced the intervention of religious authorities in an attempt ease the tensions between the two sides.

Concerned sources told the daily An Nahar in remarks published on Friday that the escalation could serve as another obstacle in the impending debate over the funding of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

Speaker Nabih Berri and Premier Najib Miqati have discussed ways to pay Lebanon’s share of the funding for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, a ministerial source said.

The source told al-Liwaa newspaper that part of the discussions held between top officials on Wednesday, including talks between Berri and Miqati, lied on how to meet the STL’s demand.

Speaker Nabih Berri confirmed on Wednesday that the cabinet would approve the electricity project by consensus and would not resort to voting during its session scheduled to be held at Baabda palace.

In remarks to al-Joumhouria daily, Berri said: “The electricity draft law will be approved through consensus by the cabinet. There won’t be any voting because voting would lead to differences inside parliament.”

Prime Minister Najib Miqati stressed on Tuesday the “constant” cooperation between the Lebanese army and United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, saying that the army should be properly supplied with necessary equipment to enable it to implement its duties, especially U.N. Security Council resolution 1701.

He said after holding talks with UNIFIL Commander Major General Alberto Asarta: “The Lebanese government is determined to take the necessary measures to allow the international force to perform its duties in aiding the army in maintaining the security in the South.”

Speaker Nabih Berri criticized the ruling majority and the March 14 opposition’s approach on different developments in Lebanon, accusing them of failing to accommodate to the new balance of power in the country.

He explained: “The majority does not know how to govern and the opposition does not know how to oppose rule.”

Speaker Nabih Berri encouraged a military and a political strike against Hizbullah during the 2006 war so that the Israeli aggression against Lebanon doesn’t last long and so that the operation doesn’t have any repercussions, revealed a leaked U.S. Embassy cable published in al-Mustaqbal newspaper on Monday.

The WikiLeaks cable dated August 18, 2006, reported about a meeting between the speaker and then U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman during which Berri described Syrian President Bashar Assad’s speech on Aug. 15, 2006 as “stupid and unreasonable… because people forgot everything related to Israel.”

Speaker Nabih Berri warned on Monday against widening the dispute over the electricity project, stressing that a breakthrough must be achieved to solve this vital issue that concerns all the Lebanese, As Safir newspaper reported.

“It should be an issue that unites (all the Lebanese) not divides them,” Berri told his visitors.

Speaker Nabih Berri slammed some officials in the state without naming them, stressing that they don’t want to continue the establishment of Lebanon’s national defenses.

Berri statements came after Israeli press reported that their country began establishing a military strategy to secure the oil fields disputed over with Lebanon.

Speaker Nabih Berri stressed Wednesday that “the issue of resistance” against Israel is “not up for discussion.”

“AMAL Movement, the founder of Lebanese resistance, believes that the issue of resistance is not up for discussion because the (Israeli) aggression is still ongoing,” said Berri, during a mass rally held in Baalbek to mark the 33rd anniversary of the disappearance of Imam Moussa Sadr and his two companions.