The Muftis council in Lebanon, headed by Grand Mufti Mohammad Rashid Qabbani, urged on Tuesday Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati to “thwart strife in Lebanon in light of the parliamentary consultations to form a new government in Lebanon.”

It called on him to “take the appropriate stand that would avert strife and prevent Lebanon from falling into chaos and the trap of the conspiracy being devised against the Lebanese, and Muslims in particular.”

Protests turned violent on Tuesday in Lebanon's Sunni bastion of Tripoli as frenzied demonstrators torched an Al-Jazeera van while protesting the likely appointment of a Hizbullah-backed premier.

Angry demonstrators set upon the vehicle, smashing the windshield and tearing down the satellite dish before setting it on fire.

Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati must form a new Lebanese government without outside "interference," France's foreign ministry said on Tuesday.

"It is essential that it is done within the framework of the constitution ... and reflects the independent and sovereign choice of the Lebanese people, without any interference and through dialogue," it said.

The top-ranking U.S. envoy for the Middle East, Jeffrey Feltman, said he would travel to France on Wednesday for talks on the situation in Lebanon and Tunisia, following a visit to Tunis.

"I'm going to meet with the French tomorrow to talk about Tunisia and Lebanon," he told reporters in Tunis.

Outgoing Premier Saad Hariri denounced on Tuesday violent incidents that erupted during protests by his supporters against the appointment of Najib Miqati to head the new government.

Demonstrators in Sunni stronghold Tripoli attacked and burned a car of al-Jazeera television, and ransacked the office of MP Mohammed Safadi.

The Lebanese army has warned against tampering with security and violating the rules of peaceful protests.

On Tuesday, As-Safir newspaper quoted a senior military officer as saying that the Lebanese army was "ready to handle any emergency."

U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon’s acting deputy spokesperson rejected to comment on attempts by the Hizbullah-led alliance to form a new government in Lebanon, saying cabinet formation should be done through dialogue.

“We wouldn’t comment on the precise political makeup of any government. We have simply stressed in general that we would like the process by which a government is formed in Lebanon to be one of dialogue,” said Farhan Haq.

Druze leader Walid Jumblat held outgoing Prime Minister Saad Hariri responsible for street protests that broke out across Lebanon as Hizbullah candidate Najib Miqati was set to become Lebanon's new premier.

He expressed dismay at the pro-Mustaqbal demonstrations, saying these protests were in contrary to what Hariri himself had called for.

Speaker Nabih Berri has called for a national salvation government in which parties from across the political spectrum would take part.

“A national salvation cabinet in which everyone takes part without exception should assume its national responsibilities in confronting fateful challenges,” Berri told As Safir daily in remarks published Tuesday.

Parliamentary consultations to pick a new prime minister is scheduled to resume Tuesday amid calls for “peaceful” street protests as outgoing PM Saad Hariri’s Al-Mustaqbal Movement accused Hizbullah of staging a coup by imposing its candidate to head the next government.

Protests in support of Hariri broke out in Sunni neighborhoods across Lebanon after the first day of parliamentary consulations showed that former PM Najib Miqati was winning the battle against Hariri.