Baabda palace issued a decree on the appointment of Marwan Khaireddine as minister of state to replace Lebanese Democratic Party chief Talal Arslan on Monday.

The 30-member cabinet of Premier Najib Miqati is now complete with the new appointment.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblad held talks with Lebanese Democratic Party leader Talal Arslan in Mukhtara, the National News Agency reported on Saturday.

The gatherers discussed the general political situation and the latest developments in the presence of Transportation and Public Works Minister Ghazi al-Aridi.

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat has reportedly bought a 20,000-square-meter land parcel near the Safa stadium in Beirut for 10 million dollars.

Al-Akhbar daily said Friday that Jumblat is negotiating with the owners of shacks on the land to vacate their homes in return for financial compensation.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat discussed on Thursday the latest regional and international developments with Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Ghazanfar Roknabadi, reported the National News Agency.

The meeting was held in the presence of Transportation and Public Works Minister Ghazi al-Aridi.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat described in a leaked U.S. Embassy cable General Prosecutor Saeed Mirza as weak, adding that he doesn’t deserve his position.

The WikiLeaks cable dated March 22, 2008, spoke of the MP’s fear of a Hizbullah and Syria-led campaign to release the four generals who were imprisoned for allegedly being involved in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

Ministers representing the Change and Reform bloc in the cabinet are gearing up to discuss several controversial issues at government meetings, the first of which will be held on Thursday.

Free Patriotic Movement sources told al-Liwaa daily published Tuesday the ministers believe that they have the upper hand in deciding the major path the cabinet sessions would take including the appointments that it would make to top posts in state institutions.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat on Monday stressed that he has not betrayed the memory of slain premier Rafik Hariri.

“I’m cautioning against the threats. I am with justice and stability but sometimes it is better to forget about truth for the sake of stability,” Jumblat said in an interview on MTV.

National Struggle Front MP Akram Shehayeb stated on Thursday that the new majority proved many sides wrong when it formed a government.

He said during the parliament session to discuss the cabinet policy statement: “We question the release of the indictment in the Special Tribunal for Lebanon simultaneously with the release of the policy statement.”

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat on Wednesday lauded the “responsible stances voiced by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal concerning the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and the need that the Lebanese deal with it rationally and calmly.”

In a statement he issued, Jumblat noted that al-Faisal’s stances match his own position on the STL, which stresses “the importance of justice and stability in Lebanon.”

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat has ordered his MPs and members of his party not to issue statements on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and simply abide by his recent comments on the matter during his press conference on Friday, reported the Kuwaiti al-Anbaa newspaper on Wednesday.

March 8 camp sources said that the MP’s warning against falling for the trap of international agendas is inapplicable for the current government as it is a cohesive cabinet, adding: “There is no room for dialogue with a new minority that decided to lead Lebanon against the Resistance’s arms.”