Druze leader Walid Jumblat assured March 14 forces that Najib Miqati's would-be government will not and cannot stop the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

"Miqati's government is not willing to terminate the international tribunal because no one, except for the Security Council, can terminate it," Jumblat said in remarks published Wednesday by Al-Akhbar newspaper.

Premier-designate Najib Miqati has given himself three days to conduct consultations with major March 14 parties to receive a final answer from them on whether they want to participate in his government or not, a high-ranking March 8 official said.

The official’s visitors told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat that Miqati’s consultations have already started with a meeting with Phalange party leader Amin Gemayel.

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat accused former Premier Fouad Saniora of hoping for the failure of Saad Hariri as prime minister so that he returns to the premiership.

In an interview with the Qatari al-Watan daily on Monday, Jumblat said: “If I was Sheikh Saad I would have participated in Najib Miqati’s government without hesitation.”

Speaker Nabih Berri snapped back at former Premier Saad Hariri on Monday rejecting accusations that Syria and Iran have brought down his government.

Hariri said Saturday that "enormous" pressure from outside Lebanon was to blame for the collapse of his cabinet earlier this month.

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat said Sunday that the party’s political stances that were discussed during a general assembly meeting will be unveiled in a statement.

Talking to reporters following the meeting at the Beau Rivage hotel, Jumblat said: “There is nothing new to say. The results of the meeting will be announced in a statement.”

Prime Minister Designate Najib Miqati and the March 8 forces are making strong efforts to distribute portfolios among the alliance’s members excluding the March 14 forces, An Nahar daily reported Sunday.

The newspaper said that former Minister Naji Boustani would most likely have a portfolio from President Michel Suleiman’s share in the government. Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun is also seeking to bring back Jebran Bassil and Charbel Nahhas to the cabinet, it said.

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat denied he came under pressure to name Najib Miqati for the premier’s post and criticized as “political dementia” accusations that the prime minister-designate represents the Faqih rule.

“I haven’t come under pressure from anyone, neither from Syria nor from Hizbullah,” Jumblat told As Safir daily about his decision to nominate Miqati rather than Saad Hariri.

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.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea vowed in an open letter to Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Monday to hold onto the democratic process despite being abused by the Shiite group.

“History will not go backwards even if it faced a stumbling block at some point,” Geagea told Nasrallah in his open letter.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat defended his decision to stand by Syria and Hizbullah in the upcoming parliamentary consultations, by saying that he based it on “obvious national and regional factors.”

He told the daily An Nahar Sunday that the Lebanese will receive the Democratic Gathering’s answer during Monday’s consultations.