Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani hoped in a telephone with President Michel Suleiman that the parliamentary consultations over appointing a new prime minister would be postponed in order to allow more room for reaching a settlement, revealed Arab diplomatic sources to the daily Al-Mustaqbal Sunday.

Suleiman, however, ruled out such a development, saying that it would be “unjustified seeing as he was the one who called for holding the consultations in the first place,” reported the daily An Nahar Sunday from the president’s visitors.

An agreement was reportedly made between the March 8 forces backed by Syria and Democratic Gathering leader MP Walid Jumblat for his bloc to give seven votes for the opposition’s nominee for the premier’s post, Omar Karami, amid efforts to guarantee a eighth MP.

An Nahar daily quoted March 14 forces as saying Saturday that Democratic Gathering MPs who are not members of Jumblat’s Progressive Socialist Party have informed him that they would nominate caretaker Premier Saad Hariri. They are: Mohammed al-Hajjar, Fouad al-Saad, Henri Helou, Marwan Hamadeh and Antoine Saad.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat Friday night discussed the latest developments in the country with Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Hizbullah's mouthpiece Al-Manar TV announced.

Earlier Friday, Jumblat announced "the appropriate political position to confront the current phase and its complications, especially since the country has reached a dangerous crossroads after the Special Tribunal for Lebanon took on a purely political position, which has started to threaten national unity."

March 14 General-Secretariat Coordinator Fares Soaid stressed that the ruling coalition was the strongest in Lebanon and accused the March 8 alliance of seeking to bring in a new premier by the force of arms.

“We are still the strongest team because we hold onto the right of the Lebanese to decide their fate,” Soaid told pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat in remarks published Friday. “We reject attempts by an armed party to lay its hand on Lebanon.”

Naharnet has learned that Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat has informed concerned officials in the Mustqbal movement that he is being subject to great pressures against naming Caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri as the premier of a new government, knowing that he had previously informed Hariri that he would be naming him.

Jumblat did not elaborate on the reasons for his new position.

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat on Wednesday doubted the credibility of the international tribunal and said Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare's decision to launch a probe into the latest unauthorized broadcasts was an underestimation of the Lebanese.

"We wonder whether the tribunal is credible after the latest broadcasts" on al-Jadid TV of interviews conducted by international investigators with Caretaker PM Saad Hariri, said Jumblat.

All eyes are turned to Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat whose decision on his bloc's nominee for the premier's post could be a turning point in Lebanese political life.

By Monday, the result of the consultations of President Michel Suleiman with the 128-member parliament, was far from certain. The rival March 8 and 14 camps have around 58 or 59 lawmakers each with Jumblat holding the decisive vote with his 11 MPs.

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat scrapped a press conference he was scheduled to hold in Clemenceau at noon Tuesday, the party's media office said.

It did not give the reasons behind the cancellation.

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat urged the Lebanese government to file a complaint with the U.N. if Israel seizes natural gas from Lebanese territorial waters.

Jumblat told As Safir newspaper in remarks published Thursday that any Israeli attempt to explore oil from disputed sea areas is a clear violation of all agreements and international resolutions.

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat on Wednesday slammed Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea and said he has become similar to a "false witness."

"We didn't vote (inside cabinet) to avoid a government crisis," Jumblat told al-Akhbar newspaper about the last cabinet session which was adjourned without reaching a solution on false witnesses.