A Hizbullah delegation held talks on Wednesday with Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun on the latest developments in Lebanon, most notably the parliamentary electoral law.

Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's political aide Hussein Khalil said after the meeting: “We hope that the Orthodox Gathering draft law will be the first article of the agenda of the next parliament session.”

The March 14 General Secretariat noted on Wednesday that Hizbullah's allies can no longer cover up the party's regional agenda.

It said in a statement after its weekly meeting: “The resignation of Premier Najib Miqati demonstrated that Hizbullah's regional agenda has become a burden on its allies.”

The residents of the northeastern town of Arsal denied on Wednesday any link to the kidnapping of a man from the Jaafar clan, saying they were ready to hand over the suspect if he was a town resident.

“The kidnapping has nothing to do with Arsal residents,” said municipal chief Ali al-Hujairi at a press conference he held following a meeting of the town's residents.

Three Lebanese have been kidnapped in Lagos, a rare case of expatriate kidnapping in Nigeria's commercial center, the state-run National News Agency reported Wednesday.

NNA said the Lebanese foreign ministry was informed about the kidnapping, adding that contacts are underway to set them free.

Lawmakers representing the March 8 alliance called on Wednesday on Speaker Nabih Berri to hold a parliamentary session for the approval of the so-called Orthodox Gathering draft-law.

“The March 8 parliamentary blocs insist on holding the elections on time based on a law other than the 1960 law,” Change and Reform bloc MP Ibrahim Kanaan told reporters at the parliament in Beirut's Nijmeh Square.

The case of the nine abducted Lebaese pilgrims in Syria's Aazaz was the main topic of discussions between President Michel Suleiman and Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani on Wednesday.

Suleiman and al-Thani also tackled the latest developments in the Arab countries and the bilateral ties between the two countries.

A March 14 opposition alliance delegation handed Speaker Nabih Berri on Wednesday a petition that calls for the extension of the tenures of top security officials.

The petition with nearly 69 signatures was handed over to Berri during a visit to Ain el-Tineh. It calls for holding a parliamentary session to discuss an urgent draft-law to modify the retirement age of officers in leadership posts in the army, the Internal Security Forces and other security agencies.

U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon hoped on Tuesday that Lebanon's rival parties would “engage responsibly” with President Michel Suleiman to resolve the country's problems.

During a telephone conversation he held with Suleiman, Ban expressed his strong support for the Lebanese president's “leadership in preserving the security and stability of the country, and stressed the importance of Lebanon's disassociation policy.”

Centrist Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat is keen to maintain the ties with Speaker Nabih Berri to safeguard the national unity, calling on the political foes to kick off consultations to form the new cabinet.

“My stance will always remain in harmony with Berri over the name of the nominee to head the government and maintaining the national unity,” Jumblat said in comments published in As Safir newspaper on Wednesday.

Head of al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc ex-PM Fouad Saniora is expected to hold talks on Wednesday with Speaker Nabih Berri as part of consultations among foes over the new electoral law, An Nahar newspaper reported.

According to the daily, Mustaqbal MP Ahmed Fatfat and ex-Prime Minister Saad Hariri's adviser Mohammed Shatah, who are tasked by the bloc to tackle the electoral law with the rival parties, will also hold talks with the speaker.