Armed with a 10-point platform and a shot of ambition, an unlikely alliance of Lebanese citizens will for the first time take on Beirut's powerful political class in Sunday's municipal elections.

Beirut Madinati -- Arabic for "Beirut is my city" -- is a civic campaign of 24 candidates, equally split between men and women, and Muslims and Christians.

The Free Patriotic Movement will not withdraw from the “Beirutis List” of candidates running in Sunday's municipal polls after reaching a settlement that will garner it the most mayoral seats in the capital's Ashrafiyeh district, reported the daily An Nahar on Thursday.

It said that the FPM will enjoy the greatest representation among Christians in Ashrafiyeh.

Maronite Bishop Samir Mazloum denied that a meeting had recently taken place between Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi and Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, reported the daily al-Mustaqbal on Thursday.

He said: “This claim is baseless.”

The municipal chief of the northeastern border town of Arsal, Ali Mohammed al-Hujeiri, imposed a curfew against Syrian refugees in the area during the upcoming municipal polls, reported the National News Agency.

He said in a decree: “Given the upcoming polls, the sensitive security situation in Arsal, and the heavy deployment of security forces and in order to ensure the smooth operation of the elections and the safety of our Syrian brothers, a curfew will be imposed against them starting Saturday.”

Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq vowed on Wednesday that the municipal elections will be held as scheduled, saying that those who had been skeptical of them will be proven wrong.

He said during a press conference: “The municipal polls are probably the most important elections to take place in Lebanon in decades given the trend of extending the terms of state institutions.”

As the municipal and mayoral elections loom with the first round to kick off in the capital Beirut and the Bekaa-al-Hermel districts, 20 towns in the eastern town of Zahle witnessed uncontested victory of several municipal and mayoral lists, the state-run National News Agency said on Wednesday.

The towns that won the mayoral seats by acclamation are listed as follows: Hosh al-Ghanam, Chtaura, Wadi al-Arayish, al-Rasieh al-Fawqa, Raite, Deir al-Ghazal, Hay el-Sellom, Tal al-Akhdar, al-Ferzol al-Fawqa, Masa, Hay al-Sayydeh, al-Tawaiti, Wadi al-Delm and Anjar (Hay al-Waqf, Yoghon Olouk, Haji Jbeili, Betyas, Khodr Beik and Kabusieh).

The Maronite Bishops Council reiterated on Wednesday its call for the election of a president in Lebanon, while highlighting the recent visits of international figures to the country.

It said after its monthly meeting: “We urge the election of a president, who will protect Lebanon's constitutional and state identity.”

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi has allegedly visited Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah a couple of weeks ago following a meeting he held with the French President Francois Hollande during his trip to Lebanon, al-Akhbar daily reported on Wednesday.

The daily quoted March 14 sources as saying that the two officials discussed the vacuum at the presidential post in light of a recent proposal to shorten the presidential term from six to two years as a temporary solution.

Efforts are ongoing to “deal” with the conditions set by the Free Patriotic Movement to get twelve mayoral posts instead of eight for its candidates in the municipal elections that are set to take place in Beirut on Sunday, An Nahar daily reported on Wednesday.

“Things will not reach a dead end and the FPM will not withdraw from the 'Beirutis List',” unnamed sources told the daily on condition of anonymity.

The cabinet is set to convene Wednesday afternoon to tackle several pending issues on its agenda but it does not include the controversial file of the State Security agency, An Nahar daily reported.

The cabinet's agenda includes 65 items and 116 draft-laws. It will not discuss the file of the State Security agency until Prime Minister Tammam Salam, who was tasked with finding a solution to the leadership rift between the agency’s chief and his deputy, concludes his mission.