Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat has reiterated that his insistence to form a technical committee to oversee the spending of $1.2 billion on an electricity project has no political motive.

In remarks to As Safir daily published Tuesday, Jumblat said: “The electricity issue is not at all political. It is purely a technical and legal issue.”

Premier Najib Miqati travelled to Mecca for Omra on Wednesday after a 10-minute cabinet session held at Baabda palace to discuss the controversial electricity bill.

Following the session, Miqati held talks with Speaker Nabih Berri at the parliament building. Both men agreed on postponing a parliamentary session that was set to endorse the electricity bill had the cabinet approved it.

A solution to the electricity crisis could come through calm dialogue among the bickering parties, sources close to Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat said insisting that the differences with the Free Patriotic Movement were not political.

The sources told several Beirut newspapers published Thursday that the timeframe ahead of the Sept. 7 cabinet session could pave way for a deal on the electricity bill to allocate $1.2 billion dollars to Energy Minister Jebran Bassil to generate 700 megawatts of electricity.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati denied on Wednesday that the cabinet is under threat saying there is full solidarity among ministers despite a postponement of a session on the electricity crisis to September 7.

Following talks with Speaker Nabih Berri at the parliament, Miqati said the atmosphere of the government session held at Baabda palace was good.

Hussein Oneissi, one of the suspects accused by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon of being involved in the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri, was likely the suspect interviewed by TIME Magazine, reported the daily An Nahar on Sunday.

Sources told the daily that the meeting probably took place last Tuesday or Wednesday in the presence of a non-Lebanese Arabic interpreter.

Speaker Nabih Berri has appeased fears over the dangers that the political tension poses on the country’s security situation, saying no one has an interest in reaching a state of chaos.

“The political tension that the country is witnessing doesn’t necessarily pose a danger on the security situation because no one has an interest in any security deterioration which leads to chaos,” Berri told his visitors according to pan-Arab daily al-Hayat published Friday.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who visits Beirut on Tuesday, is expecting that the Palestinian bid for United Nations recognition will receive a boost from Lebanon's taking over the presidency of the U.N. Security Council.

In an interview with al-Liwaa daily published Monday, Abbas hoped that Lebanon would play an effective role in his bid for U.N. membership on September 20, despite Israeli opposition.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to head to Beirut next week to meet with top Lebanese officials, As Safir newspaper reported on Friday.

“Abbas will visit Lebanon on Aug. 16 and 17,” Palestinian sources told the daily.

Speaker Nabih Berri said that the March 14 forces have lost control over their nerves, stressing that disarming Israel and not the resistance must be a national aim.

“The real danger is the Israeli greed and its wars against Lebanon… Disarming the Zionist arms not the resistance is an urgent national goal,” Berri said on Monday at an Iftar at BIEL.

Speaker Nabih Berri on Saturday invited lawmakers for a parliamentary session on August 10 to continue discussions on the remaining draft laws on its agenda.

Parliament met on Wednesday and Thursday, approving 31 laws, including the delineation of Lebanon’s maritime borders that paves way for the exploration of oil and natural gas in the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone.