Phalange party leader Amin Gemayel stressed on Saturday that the March 14-led opposition stances are to safeguard Lebanon against those who are conspiring against it.

“We are not only defending the rights of a certain group but the rights of all the Lebanese citizens … and the sovereignty of the country,” Gemayel said during a meeting with a delegation of residents of the town of Tarshish.

President Michel Suleiman and Speaker Nabih Berri’s calls to resume the national dialogue have remained unanswered given the division between the government forces and opposition over the purpose of holding the talks, reported the daily An Nahar on Saturday.

It said that the two officials were expected to hold talks after the last week’s al-Adha holiday in order to discuss resuming the dialogue, but the meeting did not transpire.

Some 150 Lebanese and Syrian protesters gathered in the northern city of Tripoli Friday to demand Syria's President Bashar al-Assad step down and warning his Lebanese ally, Hizbullah, that it would be next.

Chanting "Down with Bashar al-Assad" and "Your turn is next, Hizbullah," they gathered outside the local Qubba mosque before making their way through the densely populated city.

Hizbullah slammed on Thursday United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s report on the implementation of Security Council resolution 1701.

“Ban confirmed once again that he is completely biased towards the west instead of implementing the goals of the international organization to establish peace and stability around the world,” the party said in a statement.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati denied on Thursday that he has vowed to resign if the cabinet failed to fund the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

The denial came after al-Liwaa daily said Miqati has stressed he would submit his resignation if his allies in the cabinet Hizbullah, AMAL and the Free Patriotic Movement were not convinced of the importance of funding the STL.

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri stressed on Wednesday that only Israel, Iran and Hizbullah along with the current government are defending the Syrian regime, reiterating his call on President Bashar Assad to leave power.

“Don't you see that now Israel and Iran and Hizbullah and this government are defending the Syrian regime?” Hariri said on the social networking website twitter.

The Syrian regime and Hizbullah have agreed on resolving all the obstacles that could cause the collapse of the current cabinet in an attempt to safeguard the government until the parliamentary elections in 2013.

Sources told the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat that the Syrian leadership and Hizbullah are seeking to guarantee the parliamentary majority during the 2013 elections in cooperation with PM Najib Miqati and without Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat.

Special Tribunal for Lebanon prosecutor Daniel Bellemare said Tuesday it was premature to begin a trial in absentia against the accused Hizbullah members, demanding the Lebanese authorities to be heard in the Trial Chamber.

Lebanon's government has so far failed to arrest Salim Ayyash, Mustafa Badreddine, Hussein Oneissi, and Assad Sabra, wanted for the February 2005 murder of Hariri and 22 others.

Naharnet Exclusive Report - Paris

High-ranking French officials have complained that the Lebanese leaderships have not devised a clear way to deal with the repercussions the Iranian and Syrian developments may have on the internal Lebanese scene.

Security forces have launched a campaign of arrests against wanted suspects in Dahiyeh, Beirut’s southern suburbs, a concerned source told As Safir newspaper in remarks published on Saturday.

It explained that the campaign, which was launched about a month ago, enjoys the support of Hizbullah, AMAL, and residents of the area.