Lebanon's economy should be able to survive the political turmoil that has seen the appointment of a Hizbullah-backed premier due to the strength of the country's banking system and replete foreign currency reserves, analysts say.

"The financial defense lines are currently the strongest in Lebanon's history," said Marwan Barakat, chief economist at Bank Audi, one of the leading banks in the country.

Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun has denied that he nominated Najib Miqati as premier to take revenge on Saad Hariri for shunning him from the presidency.

In an interview with the Qatari al-Watan newspaper published Thursday, Aoun said he named Miqati because he had a problem with Hariri’s internal policies.

Egyptians in Lebanon are anxiously watching developments in their strife-torn homeland, fearing that their country is sliding into an unending cycle of chaos and political turmoil.

"All I can think, watching the protests, is that we are going to be the next Lebanon or even the next Iraq," said Shahta al-Masri, a Beirut gas station attendant who hails from Al-Mahalla Al-Kubra in the Nile Delta.

Premier-designate Najib Miqati visited President Michel Suleiman on Wednesday to inform him about the demands of the March 8 and 14 forces on the cabinet, An Nahar daily said.

The newspaper quoted sources as saying that both officials agreed to give contacts more time to exhaust all efforts to form a national unity cabinet or a national salvation government that includes both coalitions.

Members of the so-called Hizbullah cell convicted of plotting attacks in Egypt were among the escapees in a weekend prison break, a security official told Agence France Presse Thursday.

The 22 cell members fled on Sunday along with members of Palestinian group Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood and thousands of other convicts during a mass breakout amid anti-government protests in Egypt.

Premier-designate Najib Miqati is reportedly facing stiff demands by Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun to be granted the majority of Christian seats in the new government.

Miqati’s brother, Taha, met with Aoun in Rabiyeh on Tuesday. An Nahar said that the FPM leader sent a message to the prime minister-designate that he wants a big share that “suits the size of his parliamentary bloc and his popular representation.”

The March 14 forces are reportedly preparing a political document on their future objectives that they would most probably announce on the sixth anniversary of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s assassination.

Informed sources in the alliance told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat in remarks published Thursday that the March 14 forces are planning to hold a political gathering rather than a mass rally on the February 14 murder anniversary.

Israel's prime minister has said Iran wants to take advantage of the chaos in Egypt to create "another Gaza" there and warned that Islamic parties have already taken over power by democratic means in Iran, Lebanon and Gaza.

Speaking before the Israeli parliament on Wednesday, Benjamin Netanyahu said he expects any new government in Egypt to honor its three-decade-long peace agreement with Israel.

U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams stressed on Wednesday the importance of dialogue in ending any dispute, commending Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati’s efforts to form a new government.

He made his statements after holding talks with Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel on the latest political developments in Lebanon and the implementation of U.N. Security Council resolution 1701.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Wednesday lauded Speaker Nabih Berri's remarks made earlier in the day from the Baabda Palace about the participation of all political parties in the new cabinet without prior conditions on the shares of each side.

Geagea said Berri "has always been courteous," but wondered whether the house speaker was the one who has the last word among his allies in the March 8 camp.