May 1

• During a rally organized by the Lebanese Communist Party on May 1, 2014, the party’s Secretary General, Khaled Hdaded lashes out at ‘money sharks’ and at the General Confederation of Lebanese Workers, which he branded as a ‘rusting sword’.
• In his speech at the Diplomatic Expatriates’ Conference held at Le Royal Hotel in Dbayyeh, Minister Nouhad Al-Mashnouq emphasizes that raising the issue of citizenship restoration on a sectarian basis ruins the concept and its potential applicability.
• “March 8 Forces are disrupting the elections in order to take us to Doha or Paris, but we are not going anywhere this time,” says the Lebanese Forces leader in a speech before party members.
• The Lebanese Army reopens the road leading to the airport after it was blocked in protest at the transfer of inmates from Al-Mawla family from the prison in Roumieh to one in Tripoli.
• Minister of Foreign Affairs Gebran Bassil says that a plan is being pursued to nationalize 400,000 Palestinians.

May 2

• The Cabinet convenes at the Baabda Palace and approves the appointment of five governors after accepting the resignation of the Governor of the North, Nassif Qaloush. It also allocates USD 24 million to open a road to the town of Tfail and another USD 52 million to construct roads in Jal El-Deeb, and agrees to recruit 2,500 Internal Security Forces members and 500 General Security personnel.
• Saudi Ambassador Ali Awad Osseiri returns to Lebanon to resume his duties after an absence of many months, reiterating the autonomy of the presidential election.
• President Michel Suleiman addresses the Lebanese ambassadors abroad stressing that the foreign intervention in the selection of a new president of the republic is unacceptable and branding the quorum disruption as a non-democratic act.
• The US Ambassador to Lebanon, David Hale, visits Speaker Nabih Berri and PM Tamam Salam, stating that Washington has no role in selecting the president.

May 3

• “We will not surrender to disruption and boycotting,” says the Lebanese Forces leader in a televised speech during the party’s dinner in Montreal.
• Former President Amine Gemayel states in a press conference that every Maronite politician aspires to become President of the Republic, adding that his nomination is natural because he has been an active player in the political scene for such a long time and he does not face any of the barriers that hindering the path of other candidates.

May 4

• During the inauguration ceremony of the Michel Suleiman Sports Village in Byblos, President Michel Suleiman reiterates his objection to any foreign intervention in the selection of a new president, hoping that May 7, 2014 will erase May 7, 2008.
• Head of the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc, MP Mohammad Raad, assures that no Head of State would ever come to power unless he was supportive of the choice of resistance.
• The Lebanese Army arrests a man, Ali Amoun, wanted on suspicion of sending car bombs from Syria to Lebanon, in the town of Arsal.
• Foreign domestic workers protest demanding their rights.

May 5

• The Baabda Palace hosts the national dialogue session in the absence of Hezbollah, General Michel Aoun, the Lebanese Forces, MP Suleiman Frangieh and MP Talal Arslan.
• “My nomination for President of the Republic is tied to the decision of the politburo,” says former President Amine Gemayel.
• The ad-hoc parliamentary committee submits its report to Parliament after having reduced the cost of the Salary Scale to LBP 1,800 billion and abolished the clause related to the retroactive effect, hoping to enforce the new scale by July 1, 2014.
• Fierce forest fires flare up in the town of Batchay and reach the surrounding area by the Presidential Palace in Baaba.
• The monthly statement of the Maronite bishops stresses that the talks about presidential vacuum imply helplessness and urges Maronite leaders to implement what they had abided by in Bkerki as to their attendance of the parliamentary sessions convened to elect a president.
• “I know how to perform my duties and I refuse custody,” says Maronite Patriarch Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai in response to the criticism that surrounded his planned visit to Jerusalem.
• General Michel Aoun receives former President Amine Gemayel in Rabiyeh.

May 7

• Presidential elections postponed over lack of quorum, with only 73 attendees in the session.
• Saudi Ambassador Ali Awad Osseiri visits President Michel Suleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri and PM Tamam Salam, reiterating that the selection of a president is up to the Lebanese.

May 8

• First corona-virus case detected in Lebanon.
• Heavy rain results in torrents, landslides and accidents in a number of Lebanese regions.
• The Lebanese Forces leader, Samir Geagea, visits Patriarch Al-Rai and assures that he is ready to withdraw his candidacy in favor of another consensual March 14 candidate.
• During his meeting with former minister Suleiman Frangieh in Bnashii, former President Amine Gemayel assures that his initiative aims to elect a President of the Republic so as to confront the upcoming challenges.
• Patriarch Al-Rai pays a visit to President Michel Suleiman reiterating his objection to a vacant presidential seat.
• The Lebanese Army Command issues a statement announcing that a number of Tripoli’s militia leaders have turned themselves in.

May 9

• The Cabinet session held at the Baabda Palace approves a number of administrative appointments in Grade 1 posts and President Michel Suleiman requests clarification from the Minister of Foreign Affairs over the statements made by the former commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard regarding Lebanon.
• By virtue of his delegation of 56 families, Lebanese lawyer Tarek Shandab takes legal action against Hezbollah, the Amal Movement and the Syrian Social Nationalist Party for their violations in the events of May 7, 2008.
• Minister of the Displaced, Alice Chabtini, issues a decision ordering the evacuation of houses belonging to the Christians who were forced to leave the town of Brih in the Shouf area.
• Talks circulate about a joint pursuit between the Lebanese government and the United Nations to set up camps for Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Lebanese authorities have suggested the establishment of the camps in safe areas inside Syria near the border with Lebanon.

May 10

• The Lebanese Forces leader renews his rejection of any compromise over presidential elections and accuses those who are taking up the cause of the Christians of striking the highest post of the state.
• Minister of Justice, Major General Ashraf Rifi, renews his unwavering cooperation with the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

May 11

• Maronite Patriarch Al-Rai reiterates his staunch rejection of presidential vacuum during mass held in Harissa.

May 12

• Maronite Patriarch Al-Rai receives former President Amine Gemayel and the advisor of former PM Saad Hariri, Nader Hariri, separately. Gemayel reaffirms his keen interest in avoiding presidential vacuum while Hariri emphasizes his party’s commitment in keeping the Christian component as a symbol of the country.
• Speaker Nabih Berri receives the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Derek Plumbly, and warns of Israel’s persistence in breaching Lebanon’s sovereignty following the violation which unfolded in Al-Labwi near Al-Naqoura. President Michel Suleiman has requested the Minister of Foreign Affairs to file a complaint before the UN Security Council over the violation.
• In his speech at the Beirut Refugee Conference, Minister of Public Health Wael Abou Faour proposes the establishment of refugee camps deployed in 36 areas rather than the current distribution of Syrians in roughly 1,600 locations. Minister of Labor Sajaan Qazzi refuses the suggested solution.
• Minister of Youth and Sports Abdul Mouttaleb Hennawi proposes the preparation of a constitutional formula that would prevent a vacant presidential seat.
• Armed clashes between Islamic groups at the Ain El-Helwe camp leave nine wounded.
• The Special Tribunal for Lebanon announces the resuming of trials in the Rafik Hariri assassination case on June 18.

May 13

• President Michel Suleiman meets former President Amine Gemayel and tweets “I am awaiting for May 25 and I have no role in any plans for term extension plans.”
• Al-Jadeed’s Deputy Director, Karma Khayyat, appears in the Hague STL session while Al-Akhbar’s Editor in Chief Ibrahim Al-Ami refuses to attend the hearing requesting session adjournment in order to have enough time to prepare his defense.
• Rumors circulate about the death of Nabi Al-Alam in Brazil. Al-Alam WAS a Syrian Social Nationalist Party leader, accused of plotting the assassination of President Bashir Gemayel by recruiting Habib Shartouni.

May 14

• Parliament fails to approve the salary scale and postpones the discussion until the forthcoming session.

May 15

• Parliament postpones its fourth session scheduled for the election of a president of the republic until May 22 due to lack of quorum.
• The Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea urges the amendment of the constitution so as to set the quorum required to hold the parliamentary electoral session to half plus one, reiterating his objection to legislative activity in the absence of a president of the republic.

May 16

• The Cabinet session held at the Grand Serail concludes with the agreement on reducing phone bills and approving a number of administrative appointments.
• The Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea leaves for France.
• Saudi Ambassador Ali Awad Osseiri reiterates during his visit to Patriarch Al-Rai that the presidential election is an obligation incumbent first and foremost on the Christians.
• A Hezbollah delegation meets Al-Rai and briefs him about the negativity marring his planned Jerusalem visit.

May 17

• Druze and Christians celebrate the long-awaited reconciliation in the town of Breeh in the presence of MP Walid Jumblat and Patriarch Al-Rai and under the auspices of President Michel Suleiman. Jumblat holds later a ceremony in honor of President Suleiman at the Mukhtara Palace and the latter brands Jumblat as Lebanon’s political weathervane. Earlier in his speech, Walid Jumblat mistakenly addresses the President of the Republic as Michel Aoun, drawing a ripple of laughter from the attendees.
• Former PM Saad Hariri meets LF leader Samir Gegaea at the former’s residence in France.
• The Higher Defense Council convenes at the Baabda Palace and gives instructions to protect institutions and unify security efforts.

May 18

• Patriarch Al-Rai reaffirms his rejection of presidential vacuum and urges MPs to elect a president before May 25.
• Rockets launched from the Syrian opposition target areas in Haour Taala, Ersal and Hermel.

May 19

• Bkerki hosts a Muslim-Christian gathering to promote coexistence and preserve the country.
• PM Tamam Salam arrives in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on an official visit and meets Saudi officials and Lebanese expatriates. Former PM Hariri holds a banquet in his honor and Salam assures that the presidential elections are not a subject of discussion in the Kingdom.
• President Michel Suleiman revokes the Rent Act.
• President Michel Suleiman sends a letter to Speaker Nabih Berri urging him to accelerate the election of a new successor.

May 20

• PM Tamam Salam continues his visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and meets briefly with King Abdullah Bin Abdul Azizi in Jeddah airport before heading for Morocco.
• Former President Amine Gemayel is of the opinion that current candidates have difficulty gaining in the presidential elections, which requires a compromise to yield a consensual President.
• Tripoli’s security setback results in injuring eight members of the military.

May 21

• Parliament convenes to address the letter of the President of the Republic without any new developments.
• Iran’s new Ambassador to Lebanon, Mohammad Fathali, arrives in Beirut to present his credentials.
• The Lebanese Forces leader, Samir Geagea, reveals that Patriarch Al-Rai had brought up the proposition of extending President Michel Suleiman’s term of office in order to avoid vacuum, but the suggestion was not greeted with majority support.

May 22

• The Cabinet session held at the Grand Serail approves a number of administrative appointments. Noteworthy was the shift of certain posts from one sect to another.
• Parliament fails to elect a President of the Republic in its fifth session due to lack of quorum. Only 73 MPs attended.
• The Ministry of the Interior and Municipalities urges Syrian refugees not to organize political alignments in compliance with Lebanon’s decision to distance itself from the Syrian conflict.
• President Michel Suleiman receives the credentials of Iran’s new Ambassador to Lebanon, Mohammad Fathali.
• General Michel Aoun calls in his statement for a tripartite alliance between the Free Patriotic Movement, the Future Movement and Hezbollah, which draws objections from March 14 Forces.
• The Lebanese Forces leader, Samir Geagea, assures that his party will not partake in legislation after the seat of the President falls vacant.
• The Ministry of Justice receives legal notices from the Criminal Court of Latakia against MP Walid Jumblat and journalist Fares Khashan who were accused of undermining the reputation of the Syrian state.

May 23

• Outgoing President Michel Suleiman chairs the last Cabinet session before he leaves office. The Cabinet decides to form a ministerial committee seeking the establishment of Syrian refugee camps inside Syria or in the border region but fails to approve the long-awaited appointments of deans and professors at the Lebanese University.
• “What is the point of liberation if it does not lead to a democratic state,” says President Michel Suleiman in his farewell speech before the employees of the Baabda Palace and journalists.
• Maronite Patriarch Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai arrives in Jordan on his way to Jerusalem and storms out of an interview with France 24 in rejection of the anchor’s provocative questions, after reaffirming that both the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister granted him the permission.
• Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Gebran Bassil, states that the government’s activity after the presidential vacuum will not be moving at the same pace as before.
• The wives of each of the Speakers, Nabih Berri, former PM Najib Mikati and former PM Fouad Seniora receive awards from the outgoing President Michel Suleiman.
• MP Walid Jumblat attends a ceremony held by the resisting civil society in Baysour, stressing the importance of liberation and the role of resistance in the presence of Hezbollah’s minister Hussein Haj Hassan.

May 24

• The Baabda Palace hosts a farewell ceremony for President Michel Suleiman who raises the need to amend the gaps marring the constitution, urging the holding of presidential elections on time and stressing that he will not be responsible for the repercussions and risks of presidential vacuum.

May 25

• In a televised speech aired during a ceremony held in Bint Jbeil on the anniversary of the Resistance and Liberation Day, Hezbollah’s Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah underlines his support for a President of the Republic who would not stab the resistance in the back, stressing that Hezbollah rejected the attempts to extend President Michel Suleiman’s term of office.
• ISF Intelligence Bureau arrests Islamic cleric Omar Bakri Fostok in Aley who fled from Tripoli in the wake of the arrest warrant issue against him.
• Former President Michel Suleiman arrives in his hometown, Amsheet, amid a crowd of ministers, MPs and ambassadors and an almost total absence of March 8 officials with the exception of MP Yassine Jaber. MP Walid Jumblat calls on the new President-to-be to walk in Suleiman’s footsteps.

May 26

• Parliament’s General Secretariat receives the signed presidential decree calling on Parliament to hold an exceptional session.

May 27

• Hezbollah mourns Mahmoud Al-Hayek who was killed in Syria. Al-Hayek was accused of attempting to assassinate MP and Minister Boutros Harb.

May 28

• In response to Nasrallah, the Lebanese Forces leader, Samir Geagea, opinionates that the current presence of Hezbollah undermines the state.
• Syrians flock en masse towards the Syrian embassy in Yarzi to cast their votes for a President of the Republic of Syria, causing immense traffic jams and total paralysis on the Beirut-Beqa’a-Beirut road, which triggers a wave of protests from the March 14 officials who call for the dismissal of pro-Assad Syrian refugees from Lebanon.

May 29

• PM Tamam Salam tells As-Safir that the disruption of the government is a political decision.
• Journalist Ibrahim Al-Amin appears before the Special Tribunal for Lebanon via video-link from the tribunal’s offices in Monte Verde and withdraws from the hearing after denouncing the STL and assuring that he neither recognizes the legitimacy of the court nor that of the UN Security Council, which overlooks the crimes of Israel. Judge Lettieri says the court had no jurisdiction over the crimes raised by Al-Amin.
• Maronite Patriarch Al-Rai continues his pastoral tour and reaches Akka and Al-Nasira in occupied Palestine.
• Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Gebran Bassil receives his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier who is in Lebanon to discuss the Syrian refugee crisis.

May 30

• The Cabinet convenes its first session following the vacancy in the presidential seat to discuss the course of action and the decision-making mechanisms while the seat is vacant.
• Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants opens the Diaspora Energy Conference in the presence of 300 emigrants, stating that the very existence of Lebanon will be endangered if no identity is given to emigrants.
• The Union Coordination Committee calls for the boycotting of elections and the disruption of public administration’s work, warning that June 7 will observe an open-ended strike if lawmakers fail to approve the salary scale.

May 31

• Minister of the Interior and Municipalities, Nouhad Mashnouq, issues a decision suspending the refugee status of those Syrians who enter Syria from June 1, 2014 and then return to Lebanon. Mashnouq assures that his decision aims to maintain order in Lebanon and has nothing to do with the Syrian elections.
• Maronite institutions deny the leaks reported regarding their side talks with Aoun. Aoun has reportedly suggested awarding Bashar Assad a Nobel Prize for fighting terrorism.
• Minister of Justice, Major General Ashraf Rifi, urges the State Prosecution to arrest the members of Hezbollah who appeared in a video shooting in the air following the speech of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.