The Progressive Socialist Party is still exerting efforts to facilitate the formation of a new cabinet and end the political deadlock despite the ongoing disputes among the rival parties over the distribution of key portfolios.

Head of the PSP MP Walid Jumblat pointed out that the names proposed by al-Mustaqbal movement to be appointed at the head of the interior ministry are not provoking nor pose any challenge to the other parties.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat on Monday warned that Lebanon will further “drown” in terrorist bombings unless the “Lebanese brain” acts and innovates solutions.

Jumblat lauded “the rational call voiced by Ms. Rabab al-Sadr, the sister of missing imam Sayyed Moussa al-Sadr, in which she expressed a responsible stance, reminding of landmark remarks that were launched by the imam in 1976, through which he addressed the Lebanese brain.”

The new government of Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam is expected to be announced on Thursday or over the weekend following the return of President Michel Suleiman from a trip to Tunisia.

An Nahar newspaper said Thursday that Suleiman and Salam put the final touches on the cabinet lineup during a meeting at Baabda Palace on Wednesday, their second in three days.

Caretaker Finance Minister Mohammed al-Safadi will reportedly be appointed to form a new cabinet after the expected resignation of Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam's government.

According to al-Liwaa newspaper published on Thursday, Safadi will be named by Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun, a move that will be supported by his March 8 allies.

Hizbullah, AMAL movement and the Progressive Socialist Party are mulling the possible means to safeguard the upcoming cabinet whereby any presumed resignation by the Free Patriotic Movement ministers wouldn't turn it into a caretaker government.

According to As Safir newspaper published on Wednesday, the three parties are seeking to guard the upcoming cabinet amid the delicate situation in the country and the region, stressing that if Hizbullah voiced solidarity with any possible resignation by the FPM ministers then the allies wouldn't have to necessarily take the same stance and sacrifice the cabinet.

A two-hour meeting held between President Michel Suleiman and Premier-designate Tammam Salam on Monday signaled that the formation of the new government was imminent despite the alleged insistence of the Free Patriotic Movement to hold onto the energy and telecommunications portfolios.

Suleiman and Salam discussed the ministerial portfolios and ways to choose the names of new ministers in a 24-member cabinet based on the 8-8-8 formula, media reports said Tuesday.

“No comment!”, that was the only stance voiced Monday by Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat in his weekly editorial in al-Anbaa newspaper – the PSP's mouthpiece.

Jumblat's “no comment” was emailed to media outlets by the PSP's media department.

Local political figures deplored on Saturday evening the second explosion to hit the Bekaa town of Hermel in a month, calling for national unity.

"Once again criminals have targeted a Lebanese region and attacked innocent civilians,” caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati said in a released statement.

The latest efforts to form a new government have resulted in the proposal to distribute the four sovereign portfolios equally between the March 8 and 14 camps, reported An Nahar daily on Saturday.

It said that the March 8 camp will be granted the foreign and finance ministries, while the March 14 camp will be granted the defense and interior ministries.

A new proposal has been made to grant the foreign ministry portfolio to the Change and Reform bloc in the all-embracing government although caretaker Energy Minister Jebran Bassil said his party hasn't been officially informed about it.

Media reports said Thursday that Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat, who has been mediating the negotiation process, made the proposal to make the foreign ministry, which is a so-called sovereign portfolio, as part of the share of MP Michel Aoun's bloc.