Four years into its historic economic meltdown, Lebanon's political elites, masters at survival, are pushing for a recovery that would sidestep tough reforms demanded by the International Monetary Fund.

Economic experts and former officials involved in designing Lebanon's original IMF-approved recovery plan in 2020 say the political leadership and associates in the banking sector are deliberately implementing a "shadow plan" to torpedo the deal and place the burden of bailing out the financial system on ordinary Lebanese who are already impoverished by the crisis.

Qatar has “strongly interfered” in a bid to “impede the ongoing dialogue between Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement” through “offering incentives to FPM chief Jebran Bassil,” a media report said.

Doha wants to convince Bassil “not to engage in a settlement leading Marada Movement chief Suleiman Franjieh to the Baabda Palace,” ad-Diyar newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Hezbollah and Amal have reportedly responded to two questions, included in a letter that the French embassy had sent to the Lebanese MPs, regarding the required qualifications of the future president.

Al-joumhouria newspaper reported Tuesday that it had learned from the Shiite Duo's sources that Amal and Hezbollah have told French special presidential envoy for Lebanon Jean-Yves Le Drian that they will attend the dialogue.

Four residents of the town of Kahale on Tuesday headed to a military intelligence department to give their testimonies regarding the deadly clash with Hezbollah members on August 9.

A statement issued by Kahale’s municipality, residents and dignitaries said the four men testified as witnesses.

Former minister Jihad Azour has met Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi and Amal MP Ali Hassan Khalil, on a four-day visit to Lebanon, MTV said Tuesday.

Azour also met former Democratic Gathering bloc MP Nehme Tohme, the media outlet reported.

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri arrived Tuesday at Beirut's airport to take a helicopter that will transport them to the drilling rig in Block 9.

Mikati, Berri, caretaker Energy Minister Walid Fayyad and caretaker Minister of Public Works and Transport Ali Hamiyeh visited the Transocean Barents drilling rig which will start within a few days searching for gas in Block 9 offshore Lebanon.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia will tackle the Lebanese presidential file, media reports said.

Talks between the Free Patriotic Movement and Hezbollah are progressing calmly and rationally, a former FPM MP said.

Ex-lawmaker Amal Abou Zeid told Kuwaiti newspaper al-Anbaa, in remarks published Monday, that FPM chief Jebran Bassil and Hezbollah coordination and liaison official Wafiq Safa are calmly negotiating to find effective solutions not only to the presidential crisis, but also to a number of political, economic and security crises. The talks include the Trust Fund and the broad administrative and financial decentralization.

The French President’s Special Envoy to Lebanon Jean-Yves Le Drian might postpone his upcoming visit to Lebanon from the first week of September to the third week of September, the Progressive Socialist Party’s al-Anbaa news portal reported on Monday.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has criticized those rejecting a Lebanese dialogue proposed by France, his circles told An-Nahar newspaper, in remarks published Monday.

The sources quoted Berri as saying that it would have been better for the opposition MPs to respond to French envoy Jean Yves Le Drian's call for a dialogue, instead of "betting on other options."