The Maronite Bishops Council stressed on Wednesday the need to form a government capable of tackling the citizens’ concerns and thwarting dangers against Lebanon.

It said after its monthly meeting headed by Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi: “We hope that Thursday’s spiritual summit will provide a push towards achieving national unity and that the gatherers would seek to bolster coexistence between all sects.”

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe has stressed on France’s commitment to Lebanese independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“We await and support a government that responds to the demands of the Lebanese people, according to the Taef accord and does not refute international agreements,” Juppe said on Tuesday after holding talks with head of al-Mustaqbal Movement bloc leader Fouad Saniora in the presence of Lebanon's ambassador to Paris Boutros Assaker.

U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams said Wednesday that “challenges cannot be met without an active government particularly at a time of dramatic and rapid changes in the Arab region.”

After holding talks with FPM leader Michel Aoun in Rabiyeh, Williams said: “I reiterated my belief that the formation of a new government in Lebanon is needed as soon as possible to address the many challenges that the Lebanese people face.”

Some 1,200 inmates in Roumieh prison have continued their hunger strike for the third day in a row demanding a general pardon and improving the conditions in the prison, reported the pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat on Wednesday.

The committee charged with following up the situation in Roumieh prison held a meeting on Tuesday headed by Internal Security Forces chief Ashraf Rifi in order to address the situation in the jail and follow up on its maintenance operations and the needs of the inmates, including increasing the number of doctors at the prison.

Speaker Nabih Berri reassured Lebanese citizens on Wednesday that the government formation is making a “tangible progress” and the atmosphere is better than before.

There is a strong insistence to speed up the cabinet formation and intensive work is underway to reach the expected results, the speaker reportedly told lawmakers during his weekly meetings with MPs. There is “tangible progress,” he said.

Political sources warned against being overly optimistic about the formation of the government anytime soon although they said that the atmosphere was more positive than before.

The sources told al-Mustaqbal daily in remarks published Wednesday that the “excessive optimism might not reflect the reality,” and said those who are being optimistic have most probably “rushed” to make their stances.

Energy and Water Minister Jebran Bassil delayed on Wednesday the release of this week’s fuel prices, warning politicians from a crisis if the prices continue to rise.

“If the prices witness any rise next week I will abstain from signing it (the price update),” Bassil said during a press conference.

Syria has allegedly been behind the latest Hizbullah proposal to end the government formation impasse after the aides of the speaker and the Hizbullah leader met with Syrian officials in Damascus.

According to An Nahar daily, Syria gave the “password” to MP Ali Hassan Khalil and Hussein Khalil who returned to Beirut with new suggestions, including three possible names to head the interior ministry, which has been behind the three-month stalemate.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat confirmed to As Safir newspaper on Wednesday that ‘positive indications’ reveal a progress in the attempts to solve the interior ministry stalemate.

The names that are being studied to lead the ministry are “excellent,” he said, hoping that the mediation of Hizbullah with the cooperation of Speaker Nabih Berri would succeed.

The March 8 forces threw the ball in President Michel Suleiman’s court after Hizbullah mediated to solve the interior ministry portfolio deadlock by proposing several new names that could head the ministry.

March 8 sources told An Nahar daily in remarks published Wednesday that “Suleiman has no excuse to reject it (the new proposal) and the ball is now in the court of the president.”