U.N.-Arab League peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi stressed on Saturday that Lebanon can no longer support the large influx of Syrian refugees fleeing the crisis in neighboring Syria.

“The problem can no longer be ignored,” Brahimi said during a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergie Lavrov in Moscow.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat stated that dialogue is the only choice left for the rival political factions, reported As Safir newspaper Saturday.

He told the daily: “Dialogue lies in the best interest of all sides and the stability of the country.”

Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Najib Miqati hoped that the parliamentary subcommittee that is set to resume its meetings in the new year would achieve their objective of reaching an agreement over a new electoral law, reported the daily An Nahar and As Safir on Saturday.

Berri told An Nahar: “It is necessary for the subcommittee to perform its required role ahead of referring its agreement to parliament, which will have the final say over the electoral law.”

Grand Mufti Mohammed Rashid Qabbani has reportedly rejected Prime Minister Najib Miqati's proposal on the elections at the Higher Islamic Council, said the daily An Nahar on Saturday.

It stated that the premier had held talks over the matter with the mufti on Thursday, with the cleric requesting 24 hours to respond to his suggestion.

Interior Minister Marwan Charbel stressed that the security agencies are prepared to take the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of officials who believe themselves to be threatened, reported the Kuwaiti al-Seyassah daily on Saturday.

He told the daily: “Fear of assassinations still lingers in Lebanon as long as the political tensions and disputes persist.”

The number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon has reached 170,637, among them 126,724 registered refugees and 43,913 scheduled to be registered, according to the weekly report The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The report said more than 24,000 refugees were registered in December at the registration offices in Tripoli, Beirut, the Bekaa and South Lebanon.

Mustaqbal bloc head MP Fouad Saniora stressed on Friday that the March 14-led opposition had presented “serious and acceptable” proposals over the national dialogue “contrary to what the other camp is claiming.”

He said: “The March 14 camp will return to the national dialogue once Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah announces his readiness to discuss incorporating his party's arms in the Lebanese state.”

The Army Command warned Friday the people against falling victim to attempts by foreign agencies to recruit them as spies.

It said in a statement: “Suspicious foreign security agencies are using websites and SMS bulk technology to recruit spies.”

The families of the victims of the Tall Kalakh ambush and Islamist inmates held in Roumieh prison urged on Friday officials to exert efforts to resolve the case of their loved ones, vowing to take escalatory measures should their demands not be met.

They said during a protest in the northern city of Tripoli: “We will shut the border-crossings with Syria until this issue is resolved.”

Prime Minister Najib Miqati said Friday that the 2013 parliamentary elections would be held based on what he called a modern law, reiterating that only dialogue salvages Lebanon and preserves stability.

In remarks to Grand Serail employees and accredited journalists, Miqati said he was highly optimistic for 2013 during which “the elections would be held on time through a modern law.”