So far, the opposition has secured 53 of the 128 seats in parliament in different Lebanese districts whereas the March 14 bloc, in its current formation, has secured 43 seats, the Al-Akhbar daily reported Friday citing polls conducted by several institutions over the past three months. Two other seats could go to former Prime Minister Najib Mikati's candidates in Tripoli, as a new electoral list independent from the March 14 and opposition, is expected to see light soon.

30 seats remain for both blocs to compete on.

According to the polls, slight changes in voting tendencies are likely in some districts, whereas tough election battles are expected in others.

According to March 14 calculations, the bloc will secure all seats in Western Bekaa (6), Batroun (2), Koura (2 of 3), Sidon (1 additional seat), Zahle (3 of 6), Beirut 1 district (5) and Northern Metn (4). This means that the bloc expects to secure 22 of the 30 remaining seats, which also means that they will have a 65 MPs majority in parliament; calculations that many observers see as unrealistic, the daily said.

On the other hand, the opposition seems more down to earth, Al Akhbar said, as it will secure one seat in Western Bekaa, Zahle (5), Batroun (1), Koura (1), Northern Metn (5) and first Beirut district (3). This means that the opposition will win 16 of the 30 seats and therefore will secure a majority of at least 69 MPs.

The dispute within the March 14 loyalty bloc has been on the rise amid exclusions of candidates who are considered too close to the bloc's magnates. This jumble coincided with leaked reports about a Saudi intervention to face the solid alliance of the opposition.

"We are putting a lot into this," the NY Times quoted one adviser to the Saudi government as saying. The Saudi official added that the Saudi contribution was likely to reach hundreds of millions of dollars in a country of only four million people. "We're supporting candidates running against Hizbullah, and we're going to make Iran feel the pressure."

"Votes are being bought with cash or in-kind services. Candidates pay their competitors huge sums to withdraw. The price of favorable TV news coverage is rising, and thousands of expatriate Lebanese are being flown home, free, to vote in contested districts," the NY Times said.

Saudi Information and Culture Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja has been holding fence mending meetings in Beirut away from the media in the wake of the disengagement between MP Saad Hariri's Future Movement and the Islamic Jamaa.

Reportedly, the move will be translated into inking a new agreement between the two groups so that the Jamaa candidate in the third Beirut district, Imad Hout, would continue to be run on the Future Movement list whereas the Islamic group's candidates, particularly in Sidon, would withdraw. In return, Saudi Arabia will guarantee the Islamic Jamaa a seat in the new government that will be formed after elections.

On the other hand, things are going relatively smoother for the opposition. The bloc has so far succeeded in solidifying their list in Baabda Aley and keeping the second Beirut district away from a tough election battle, thus leaving discussions open on the bloc's candidates in the Jizzine district alone.

The opposition, according to observers, are managing the matter Monopoly board game-style, in which the winner is the player who fortifies himself against other players. The game is different from chess, which is being played by the March 14 bloc where "checkmate" was used on many candidates, mainly in Metn and Tripoli.

Withdrawals of several opposition candidates (from different parties) from the race in favor of other candidates (also from different parties) have also strengthened the opposition alliance in general. The strong bloc will eventually fight the election battle during which it will underscore the ability by opposition parties to back their allies with votes; something the March 14 bloc has been striving to realize but to no avail.