The first round of negotiations, which lasted two hours, was held at MP Nimeh Tomeh's house Tuesday evening. Marwan Hamadeh and Wael Abu Faour represented Jumblat's Progressive Socialist Party and his bloc in parliament, while Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement was represented by Jubran Bassil and Ziad Abssy, An Nahar newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Even though Voice of Lebanon repoted "neither white nor black smoke came out of the meeting", Abu Faour told Future-TV network Wednesday morning that the talks made "quite a headway" towards rebuilding confidence between the two sides and additional meetings would be held soon to map out a coalition strategy in the Aley-Baabda district and elsewhere.

"It is true that the doors have been shut with Jumblat but they are not locked, yet," Aoun told LBC as he prepared for his visit to the Lebanese Forces' Commander Samir Geagea at the Defense Ministry prison before midday Wednesday.

"We want Gen. Aoun back into opposition ranks despite unacceptable abusive remarks he made against us," Saad Hariri said, referring to Aoun's

statement that Saad and Jumblatt were "no better than Rustom Ghazaleh and they may be even worse."

Saad Hariri said there was no need for a leader on top of the opposition. "We can sit to a roundtable without a chairman and come up with election coalitions all over Lebanon and a charter of reforms after the opposition wins the elections, which is certain to be an overwhelming landslide," he said.

Saad had delegated Tayyar Al Mustaqbal's Ghattas Khoury to fence-mending talks with Aoun in Rabieh Tuesday and media reports said Wednesday the General and his wife would soon visit Koreitem to extend personal condolences to slain ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's widow, Nazek Hariri, in Saad's presence.

Opposition ranks have in the meantime been strengthened by a public declaration from Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir that reasserted his sponsorship of Qornet Shahwan as the standard-bearer of the Lebanon's Christian community.

All these developments are positive steps that will help in reuniting the opposition to ensure succeess in the upcoming elections.

Sources: Voice of lebanon Al-Nahar and Ya Libnan