Caretaker Premier Saad Hariri held talks with U.S. Senators John McCain and Joseph Lieberman at Center House on Monday, a statement from his press office said.

The meeting was attended by U.S. Ambassador Maura Connelly, Nader Hariri, and advisors Mohammed Shatah and Hani Hammoud.

The March 14 forces have reportedly preconditioned their participation in the cabinet on the inclusion in the policy statement of articles stressing Lebanon’s commitment to the international tribunal and preserving political life from arms.

Informed March 14 forces told An Nahar daily in remarks published Sunday that the coalition is insisting on including two articles that stress the country’s “commitment to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and the protection of political life from the predominance of weapons.”

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea noted that the current process of forming a new government is a “major embarrassment”.

He told the daily An Nahar in remarks published on Saturday that the current chaos over the cabinet formation will not threaten Lebanon even if it does take a long time to set up a government, explaining that the army, security forces, and justice system will prevent any instability.

Speaker Nabih Berri has brushed off criticism of the transfer of the parliamentary majority from the March 14 to the March 8 forces, saying there is no need for a tumult over the issue.

Berri’s visitors told An Nahar and As Safir dailies in remarks published Friday that it was not the first time power was transferred from one alliance to the other. It happened when Salim Hoss became premier instead of Rafik Hariri during ex-President Emile Lahoud’s term in office.

Outgoing premier Saad Hariri stressed Thursday that "it is unacceptable that weapons become a means to influence political life in the country," noting that the Lebanese "cannot build a country that way, as a country should have one army, one authority and one State."

"The weapons of any party must not become a means to undermine civil peace and the democratic system," Hariri added.

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun on Wednesday stressed that should the rival March 14 camp decide to join Najib Miqati's cabinet, it must "act differently" regarding the controversial issues that felled Saad Hariri's government.

In an interview on his movement's mouthpiece OTV, Aoun went on to say: "Should the other camp agree on our plan for solving the controversial issues, we will give them the 'blocking-third'" veto power in cabinet.

Hizbullah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Wednesday called on his fighters to stand ready to occupy the Galilee area in northern Israel should another war "be imposed on Lebanon."

"I call on the mujahedin of the Islamic Resistance to stand ready to take over the Galilee should a war be imposed on Lebanon," Nasrallah addressed via video link a rally organized by Hizbullah in Beirut's southern suburb to commemorate the group's Martyrs' Day.

Hizbullah has reportedly stepped in to try to soften Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun's demands for government formation.

Aoun has been insisting he wants the interior ministry in the new government to be formed by Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati.

Caretaker Energy Minister Jebran Bassil slammed what he called the “subversive opposition” of the March 14 forces, accusing them of committing “national treason.”

Bassil said speeches made by March 14 officials during ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s sixth assassination anniversary in BIEL on Monday were a sign that the coalition was putting conditions that contradict with March 8 stances.

The European Union's top diplomat Catherine Ashton will visit Lebanon on Wednesday as part of a broader Middle East trip, a source at Lebanon's foreign ministry told German Press Agency dpa.

She is due to meet with President Michel Suleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri, outgoing Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Premier-designate Najib Miqati and Caretaker Minister Ali al-Shami during her four-hour visit.