The cabinet is scheduled to discuss the electricity crisis on Tuesday as ministers are expected to clash after growing discontent with severe rationing and accusations by Energy Minister Jebran Bassil and the Free Patriotic Movement that certain parties were putting sticks in the wheels of his electricity plan.

Snapping back at his critics that he is moody, Bassil told As Safir: “Moodiness is a trademark for others given that we are known for holding onto our stances and not changing them in accordance with the circumstances.”

Contacts aimed at containing the rejection of Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun to appointing three candidates for posts in state institutions ahead of a cabinet session have so far failed to achieve results, An Nahar daily reported Tuesday.

While the newspaper did not name the candidates, it said that contacts are underway since last Saturday to resolve the dispute after Aoun complained that the involved officials hadn’t coordinated with him on the three candidates whose posts are reportedly part of his share.

The Lebanese Forces parliamentary bloc urged the government on Monday to take a firm stand against Syria’s repeated violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty in the North and Bekaa.

It said in a statement: “The government should also uncover the fate of Lebanese who recently went missing in Syria, as well as the fate of Lebanese prisoners in Syrian jails.”

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat condemned on Monday the “base” political and media rhetoric being adopted by some officials in the country, noting that they have gone so low as to attack the country’s martyrs.

He said in his weekly editorial in the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa magazine: “All political sides should exercise some humility and return to the national dialogue, which is the only way to protect Lebanon in this critical stage.”

Member of the parliamentary Human Rights Committee MP Ghassan Mokhaiber stressed on Monday that officials are following up on the kidnapping of Syrian opposition member Shebli al-Aisamy.

He said after holding talks with a delegation from the captive’s family that MP Akram Shehayeb is following up on the issue, adding that they will be holding a meeting with General Prosecutor Saeed Mirza to this end.

Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour defended on Monday Lebanon’s position of distancing itself from the Syrian crisis and Arab League decisions on the unrest.

He said before a delegation from the Editors Syndicate: “Our special ties with Syria force Lebanon to take a stand that would not harm its interests.”

U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon ad interim Robert Watkins on Monday briefed Interior Minister Marwan Charbel on the preparations for the next report on the implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the July 2006 war between Israel and Hizbullah.

The report is due to be presented to the Security Council at the end of February.

Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel said on Monday that there are ongoing contacts with a number of Syrian officials, including the head of the opposition Syrian National Council Burhan Ghalioun.

“The contacts are aimed at inquiring about the Lebanese missing in Syria,” Gemayel said in a press conference.

A soldier whose relatives blocked the only highway connecting the capital to southern Lebanon on Monday to protest his “disappearance” has showed up one day too late for work, state-run National News Agency reported.

“He had been missing from his home since yesterday morning over personal reasons,” NNA said.

Several al-Mustaqbal movement officials said on Monday that the security forces should have access to telecom data to avert any possible assassination attempt.

In remarks to Radio Orient, al-Mustaqbal movement politburo member Mustafa Alloush said: “Access to the telecom data averts many disasters.”