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.

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat said that the March 14 coalition has already made up its decision not to participate in Premier-designate Najib Miqati’s cabinet.

“March 14 has made up its mind and we have done so as well,” Jumblat told As Safir daily in remarks published Friday.

The process of the government formation has gone back to “square one” although the speeches of March 14 officials on ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s assassination anniversary made it clear that the coalition won’t take part in Premier-designate Najib Miqati’s cabinet, informed political sources told An Nahar daily.

The newspaper ruled out the possibility of having a cabinet line-up ready by the end of February, saying Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun’s demands are crippling the government formation process despite efforts by some teams from the March 8 forces to facilitate Miqati’s task.

Hizbullah is greatly concerned about the prospect of public indictments in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s assassination case, in large part because some of the group's senior members have already been named in the media as potential suspects, said the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

The Hizbullah members include Qassem Suleiman, Hajj Salim, Abdul Majid Ghamloush, brothers Hussein and Mouin Khreis, and, most significantly, Mustafa Badreddine, the institute said in a report written by Matthew Levitt.

Army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji has reportedly visited Damascus to discuss with top Syrian military commanders cooperation between the two countries to preserve stability in Lebanon.

Lebanese security sources told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat in remarks published Friday that Qahwaji visited the Syrian capital several days ago and discussed with officials there “the ongoing military cooperation between the two countries to preserve security and stability in Lebanon which is witnessing political bickering over ongoing consultations to form the new government.”

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.

The release date of the indictment in the 2005 murder of ex-PM Rafik Hariri has not changed, Special Tribunal for Lebanon Chief of Public Affairs Crispin Thorold has noted.

In an interview with Lebanese daily Sada al-Balad to be published Friday, Thorold said the U.N.-backed STL is still committed to the 6-10 weeks deadline it had announced before for the indictment to be examined by the pre-trial judge.

Caretaker Labor Minister Butros Harb stated on Thursday that the ongoing consultations in among the March 14 camp are aimed at devising ways to positively deal with Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati’s proposals and confront the campaigns against the president and government in a way that would preserve Lebanon’s political system.

He said after holding talks with Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel: “The March 14 camp is in a constant state of consultation and meetings are held away from the media spotlight in order to maintain its unified position from the government.”

Security forces succeeded on Thursday in arresting Abbas Abu Munthir Tleis, Lebanon’s most wanted individual in a raid in the Brital region in the Bekaa.

Internal Security Forces chief Ashraf Rifi stated that the raid took place at Caretaker Interior Minister Ziad Baroud’s orders.

Israel’s Channel 1 reported on Thursday that Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Chief of Staff Benny Gantz’s recent visit to the Lebanese-Israeli border was part of efforts to calm the situation on Israel’s northern border.

It said: “Such a visit by the minister and chief of staff less than 24 hours from his appointment to his position is supposed to deliver a very clear and strong message to Hizbullah that we are here and don’t tamper with our nerves.”