Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh noted on Monday that past experiences have demonstrated that a technocrat government in Lebanon will fail in meeting its objectives.

He said before a delegation of Marada Movement members from the region of Keserouan: “A technocrat government cannot be formed during this critical time in Lebanon.”

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia affirmed on Monday its "keenness on continuing the development of its distinguished relations with Lebanon”, expressing its hope that the assignment of PM-designate Tammam Salam to form the cabinet will contribute to the “stability and prosperity of the country”.

"We are keen on continuing the improvement of the special relations with have with Lebanon,” the Saudi cabinet said in a released statement.

Interrogations with an armed group accused of attempting to smuggle arms to “extremists” over the weekend kicked off on Monday.

According to the state-run National News Agency, State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr supervised the preliminary investigations with the armed gang.

The families of the Lebanese pilgrims kidnapped in Syria last year prevented on Monday Syrian workers from heading to their workplaces in Shwaifat as part of the pressure exerted on them to release their loved ones.

The National News Agency said the relatives of the nine pilgrims stopped the Syrian laborers from entering factories and shops in Shwaifat's Tiro area.

An experts committee, tasked with probing the fraud case at al-Madina Bank, handed over on Monday General Prosecutor Judge Hatem Madi a report that includes the names of the suspects that received suspicious funds.

The state-run National News Agency reported that the preliminary report cites the names of 411 identified suspects, who received fishy funds from al-Madina Bank.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi revealed on Monday that all political parties were exerting efforts to strike a deal on a hybrid vote law after the four major Christian parties decided to suspend the Orthodox Gathering proposal.

“The hybrid electoral draft-law is everybody's demand,” said al-Rahi at Rafik Hariri International Airport before traveling to France.

The number of Syrian refugees, who fled the turmoil in their country to Lebanon, has soared to more than 400,000, the weekly report for the U.N.'s refugee body said on its weekly report on Monday.

According to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees the number of registered refugees reached 12,000 during the past week, with 262,000 refugees already registered and 140,000 in the process of being registered.

Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam began on Monday to tour former premiers in a protocol measure ahead of holding consultations with parliamentary blocs on the type of the government and the division of portfolios.

Salam's first stop was the residence of caretaker PM Najib Miqati in Verdun.

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati expressed relief on Monday over the achievements made by the cabinet that he led from 2011 until his resignation last month, pointing out that ties with the rival parties, without exception, are “good.”

“I acted according to my conscience and national duties... I wasn't waiting for a compliment from anyone... Only the people can judge my actions,” Miqati said in an interview with As Safir newspaper.

Parliament will most likely approve an urgent draft-law on Tuesday to amend the deadlines for the submission of candidacies to the legislative elections without canceling them.

Speaker Nabih Berri called for the parliamentary session at 10:30 am Tuesday.