The U.S. government conveyed a clear message to the Lebanese government asking it not to facilitate the voting process of thousands of Syrians living in Lebanese territories in the Syrian elections slated next month, a U.S. diplomat told As Safir daily on Tuesday on condition of anonymity.

“Lebanon's interior minister is required not to issue any supportive statement on behalf of the Lebanese government backing the elections, which comes in commitment to the Baabda Declaration and the dissociation policy adopted by the cabinet since the mandate of PM Najib Miqati,” the source said.

Syndicate Coordination Committee official Nehme Mahfoud said that the SCC will issue its stance from the amended version of the public sector pay hike draft-law on Tuesday amid a warning that the coalition would launch “war” against the raise.

“The SCC will meet this afternoon to state its remarks on the pay raise in its new form and will inform Speaker Nabih Berri about them,” Mahfoud, who is the head of the private school teachers association, told Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3).

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi has suggested the one-year extension of President Michel Suleiman's six-year tenure, al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Al-Rahi made his proposal during talks with al-Mustaqbal movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri in Paris last week, the daily said.

Speaker Nabih Berri has stressed that power-sharing between Christians and Muslims in Lebanon would not change under any circumstance, An Nahar daily reported on Tuesday.

“There is no going back from the concept of power-sharing,” Berri reportedly said during the national dialogue session in response to a recent warning made by President Michel Suleiman.

Progressive Socialist Party chief Walid Jumblat has reportedly asked Christian political leaders to stop Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi from visiting the Holy Land despite the insistence of the cardinal that he was backing the Palestinian cause.

Al-Liwaa newspaper said Tuesday that Jumblat made the appeal during the national dialogue session that was chaired by President Michel Suleiman at Baabda Palace a day earlier.

Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil on Monday urged Berlin to assist the Lebanese Army in its “war on terror” and to help Lebanon in confronting the Syrian refugee crisis, during an official visit to Germany.

During a meeting with Kristof Hausken, German Chancellor Angela Merkel's political and diplomatic adviser, Bassil called on Berlin to assist the army in its “war” against terrorist groups, noting that “this war requires the efforts of all countries.”

A brother of a top Bab al-Tabbaneh gunman was arrested Monday in the northern city of Tripoli.

“Army intelligence agents arrested Ziad Allouki's brother in Tripoli,” OTV reported.

MP Boutros Harb stated on Monday that no political figure should run for office without the consensus of the March 14 coalition, explaining that this would hinder the alliance's chances of victory in the presidential race.

"Any Lebanese Maronite who thinks that they are competent can run for office," Harb said after meeting with Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea in Maarab.

An operation to eradicate opium poppy fields in the Bekaa region has reached the Rasm al-Hadath area and two people were arrested there, state-run National News Agency reported Monday.

It said the campaign will continue until all crops in coastal and mountainous regions are removed.

Kataeb Party chief Amin Gemayel slammed on Monday attempts to thwart the presidential elections, noting that some foreign powers are keener on the elections than Lebanese officials.

He said during a press conference: “We will begin meeting with political leaderships starting on Tuesday in order to avert vacuum.”