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BEIRUT: With the end of the holiday period, Lebanese politicians have revived efforts to form a government before the Arab Economic and Social Development Summit in Beirut on Jan. 16-18.

The Maronite Patriarchate’s media spokesman Walid Ghayyad told Arab News that the Hezbollah delegation that visited Patriarch Bechara Al-Rahi on Wednesday to congratulate him on Christmas “reflected a positive atmosphere toward the process of forming a government.”

Ghayyad declined to discuss the details “for fear of spoiling things,” adding: “We don’t want to engage in analysis, but all that can be said is that the ways out were discussed.”

Mahmoud Qamati, deputy head of Hezbollah’s political council, said the delegation told Al-Rahi that “all those involved in forming the government are serious about it and there are no external obstacles.” Qamati added: “We expect the formation of the government soon because the intentions of all parties are positive and in the interest of the nation.”

The leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, Gebran Bassil, visited Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Wednesday and said he presented Hariri with “ideas, and we will not lack the means or ideas to form a government.”

“There are ideas put forward to allow all parties to share the solution to the problem. We also discussed several ideas related to the formation of a government, and agreed that I would complete my contacts with the concerned parties and then communicate again.”

Abdul Rahim Murad, spokesman for six Hezbollah-allied Sunni MPs, said no one had contacted them yet about the suggested solutions. “I don’t think Hezbollah will relinquish its support for us,” he said.