The president will resume the consultations today.

Based on the most recent predictions Hariri is expected by the end of the day to have the vote of 73 MPs out of the 128 . This number includes the 71 members and the two Mps from the Armenian Tashnag party

Speaker Nabih Berri’s refusal to endorse Hariri was the most disappointing development , since he had already promised last week to endorse him

All the key opposition parties , Hezbollah , Amal and the Free Patriotic Movement refrained from renaming Hariri or anyone else as PM designate

Both Hezbollah and Amal promised to cooperate with Hariri over the formation of a national unity government based on the 15-10-5 formula( 15 portfolios for the majority - 10 for the opposition and 5 for the president)

Both Deputy Parliament Speaker Farid Makari and former Premier Najib Miqati named Hariri as PM -designate

"Reaching national consensus does not mean that the losing party should get the priority in forming a Cabinet; that decision should be taken by the majority," Makari said.

Miqati, hoped that various politicians would exert every effort to "remove all obstacles and conditions because the country needs a government that stands up to challenges."

The president took a noon break and invited General Aoun and his son-in-law caretaker Minister of Telecoms Gebran Bassil for lunch in an attempt to solicit the cooperation of the FPM leader over the formation of a cabinet but the "Outcome of the lunch was negative as no breakthrough was reached," according to VOL Radio station .

Al Mustaqbal MP Hubeish , Lebanese Forces' MP Streada Geagea, Zahleh's MP Fattoush and Democratic Gathering leader MP Walid Jumblatt endorsed Hariri as PM designate

The majority was extremely disappointed in the positions taken by the opposition .MP Riad Rahal told "Voice of Lebanon:" If they really want a government of national unity , they should be giving Hariri 128 votes. As long as there is no solution to the problem of weapons , the weapons will rule the country . This was in reference to the Hezbollah arms

PSP leader MP Jumblatt is concerned that the country is heading in the wrong direction . He told Al Anbaa newspaper : “ All I know is that the country is not moving in the right direction”


Wednesday

9::19pm MP Ogassbian : No cabinet in Lebanon without the Shiites and for this reason the crises could continue if the situation remains as is

9:21 pm George Mitchell left Beirut for Cairo after a short visit to Lebanon that lasted few hours

08:27 pm Mitchell conveyed the greetings of President Obama to president Suleiman and renewed his country's support for Lebanon and its institutions and its assistance at every level: the issue of refugees a priority and are careful on making sure that any solution will not be at the expense of Lebanon or its interests , said Mitchell

8:25pm Mitchell briefed President Suleiman briefed about his efforts concerning peace negotiations: We hope his efforts will lead to the re-launch of peaceful negotiations for the sake of a just and lasting peace , Suleiman said

8:15ppm first lady Wafaa Suleiman told "MTV": It is natural for women to join the government and it is easy to find many qualified Lebanese women for ministerial position s , but unfortunately our sectarian system limits our choice

8:10 pm STL’s Bellemare told Future news : Progress has been but “conspirators and perpetrators are still at large.” He added: “When political attacks against the tribunal increase, I realize I am approaching the truth.”

7:19pm Lebanese Security forces have deployed in Burg el Barajneh to control the situation

7:10pm U.S. special envoy George Mitchell leaves Baabda without making any statement

6:30pm U.S. special envoy George Mitchell is meeting with President Suleiman in Baabda.

18:26 OTV: gunfire shots were heard in Burg el Barajneh and unknown gunmen were spotted on the streets

6:21pm U.S. Special envoy George Mitchell arrived in Beirut coming from Amman on a private jet

5:30pm Military Commander Kahwaji met Police Chief Rifi for a roundup of the latest security

5:20 pm Afghan President Hamid Karzai won 54.6 percent of the preliminary result released on Wednesday from controversial elections, but his victory is not secure until claims of massive vote fraud are resolved.

5:10 pm FPM leader MP Michel Aoun following the Change and Reform bloc meeting accuses Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir of no longer being neutral and of having joined the Lebanese Forces party. He also said ““If our presence (in the cabinet) is not necessary, then let them form the government without us.”, but if they want us they have to pay the price

3:45pm following his designation as PM-designate Hariri said : “The Lebanese want a Cabinet able to run the country and to solve the accumulated problems not to handle the ongoing political bickering.”. He vowed to hold on to dialogue as a steady base for communication and to adhere to the Constitution. He also said he will start consultations with all political parties right after the Eid al-Fitr and will be open to new ideas

3:10 Speaker Berri leaves Baabda palace without making any statement

3:00pm President Michel Suleiman renamed MP Saad Hariri as PM designate and asked him to form the new government.

2:57pm MP Saad Hariri joined the meeting between Speaker Berri and President Suleiman at the Baabda Palace.

2:32pm Speaker Nabih Berri meets with President Suleiman at Baabda Palace to discuss results of the Parliamentary Consultations

2:30pm MP Saniora: I rename Hariri as PM-designate and I call everyone to stick to the Constitution.

2:20pm 73 MPs named Saad Hariri to form a government at the end of two days of parliamentary consultations with the president.

2:15pm A huge fire broke out in Zouk Powerplant. Causes are still unknown.

2:00pm MP Fouad Siniora arrived to Baabda Palace to meet with President Suleiman.

1:56pm NNA: Fatah al-Islam inmates in Roumieh prison announced they are going on a hunger strike.

1:57pm President Suleiman is awaiting the arrival of caretaker PM Foad Siniora for concluding the consultations over the naming of a PM designate who will form the cabinet

1:40pm Security source told Future News: Security forces are trying to quell a riot attempt inside the high security Roumieh prison.

1:32pm MPs Robert Abu Fadel, Dory Chamoun, Michel Pharaon, Robert Ghanem, Butros Harb and Nayla Tueni nominated Hariri for premiership.

1;30 pm Reuters: The United States and Israel ended another round of talks on Wednesday with no sign yet of a deal on a West Bank settlement freeze, but a US envoy planned to meet again with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

1:12pm Lebanese Army: Israeli troops opened fire on a fishing boat on Tuesday inside Lebanese territorial waters in a clear violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

12:59pm Sfeir: Naming deputies who failed in elections would be contrary to the nation's will.

12: 30 pm Al-Jamaa al-Islamiya MP Imad al-Hout announced named MP Saad Hariri the PM-designate

12:10pm MP Mohammed Safadi speaking on behalf of the Tripoli bloc: We named Future Movement leader Hariri as PM-designate.

11:58 MP Assaad Hardan, on behalf of the SSNP bloc, did not name anyone for the premiership.

11:57 President Suleiman called Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir to wish him a safe flight to Rome on Thursday.

11:56 Telecom minister Gebran Bassil told LBC: My reappointment was not discussed during lunch at Baabda with President Suleiman.

11:52 Unknown assailants robbed a U.N. French patrol while taking pictures at an archeological site in Hanin village.

11:02 Baath Party parliamentary bloc refrained from naming a premier but offered full cooperation to achieve a national unity government.

11:00 MP Ahmad Karami nominated Future Movement leader Hariri as PM-designate.

10:55 MP Serge Tor Sarkissian announced that the Armenian bloc nominates Future Movement leader MP Saad Hariri as PM-designate.

10:30 MP Talal Arslan refrained from renaming a premier but promised to cooperate in efforts for dialogue.

10:02 Parliamentary Consultations kicked off at 10:00am with a meeting between President Suleiman and MP Talal Arslan.

08:26 MP Riad Rahal told "Voice of Lebanon:" If they really want a government of national unity should be giving Hariri 128 votes. As long as no solution to the problem of weapons , the weapons will rule the country

08:21 Al Liwaa: Berri told Hariri in a message sent through Jumblatt that neither he nor anyone else can undermine his leadership role in the political arena

08:15 a parliamentary source of "future": Hariri will not quit and won’t begin his consultations with parliamentary blocs from where previous negotiations ended

08:08 Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's will deliver a speech this Friday afternoon on the anniversary of Jerusalem Day

07:53 Al Hayat : Syria informed Qatar that any new Doha conference requires the approval of Saudi Arabia otherwise no need for a Doha - 2

07:42 The Lebanese security arrested Palestinian citizen W.Z. , brother-in-law of detainee Hassan Nabah who was accused of being the head of al Qaeda in the Levant region . He is an explosives expert

7:30am MP Nidal Tomeh told VDL: There is a regional decision to turn government formation process into an explosive crisis. Hariri did not reject the 15-10-5 Cabinet formula, but the Opposition has to make concessions and assume responsibilities . It is not right that Bassil ‘s inclusion in the cabinet becomes a red line like the Hezbollah arms

07:01 Hariri sources : The options available are very few and therefore forming a government of technocrats would be the only political solution in this atmosphere in which we are searching for unconventional solutions

06:49 Jumblatt told Al Anbaa : All I know is that the country is not moving in the right direction

06:38 As Safir : Suleiman told Aoun that he has no objection against including basil in the cabinet and for the Telecommunications ministry to be included in the share of the opposition

06:05 Jumblatt: I will do all I can with speaker Berri and with anyone else who wants to cooperate

05:53 Suleiman: Hariri is still committed to the formation of a Government of National Unity and he is at the same time aware that I will only sign the decree of a Government of National Unity

05:45 President Suleiman will meet at six this evening with U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell to discuss the results of his latest talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Tuesday

6:10pm MP Saad Hariri met with British MP Newmark and a delegation from Arslan's Lebanese Democratic Party.

5:00 pm Reuters: Several mortars or rockets were fired at Baghdad's fortified Green Zone government district on Tuesday shortly after U.S. Vice President Joe Biden flew in to keep pressure on Iraq's leaders to make political compromises.

4:45 pm AFP: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Tuesday that sanctions might be needed to keep Iran's nuclear program in check but described this as "not very effective" and urged continued negotiation instead
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4:25pm 'Zahle in the Heart' bloc visited President Suleiman without its leader MP Fattoush and announced their support for Hariri's re-nomination.

4:20pm MP Sami Gemayel named Hariri as PM-designate.

4:12pm The Democratic Gathering bloc re-named Hariri as PM-designate.

3:55pm The Lebanese Forces re-named Hariri as PM-designate.

3:40pm Three wounded in a dispute in Ramel el-Aali in Ouzai area that developed into a gunfight.

3:30pm MP Nicolas Fattoush re-named as PM-designate.

3:20pm MP Michel Murr renamed Hariri as PM-designate.

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