Beirut - Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, who announced last week that he had ended his alliance with the western-backed majority, said Tuesday he had a "positive" meeting with Premier Saad Hariri.

"The atmosphere is and will continue to be positive," he said, adding that the meeting "will clarify a lot of issues."

"I stressed to Hariri my full support for his efforts to form a government based on the formula that he has come up with," Jumblatt said.

Hariri, who heads the ruling majority and was a close ally of Jumblatt, left Lebanon last week on what was described by close aides "as a family vacation."

The trip came two days after Jumblatt told his supporters that his alliance with the western-backed coalition known as March 14 was born of "necessity" and had to end.

The unexpected announcement by Jumblatt, who played a major role in the so-called Cedar Revolution that forced Syria to end its 30- years militray presence from Lebanon after the 2005 assassination of former premier Rafik Hariri, Saad Hariri's father, is likely to delay the forming of a new cabinet by the premier.

In June, Hariri was appointed as prime minister to form a power- sharing cabinet that will include all political parties. So far Hariri has failed to reach an agreement to set up his cabinet.

Under the power-sharing agreement, Hariri's coalition will appoint 15 ministers to a cabinet which will also include 10 ministers loyal to the Hezbollah-led opposition and its allies, as well as five ministers backed by Lebanon's president Michel Suleiman.

Jumblatt, who has a history of changing political alliances, said he would be a neutral member of the cabinet allied with the president.

Jumblatt's sudden shift has caused confusion among his allies, but political observers see that the openness towards Syria by Western countries like the US and France was a major factor as to why Jumblatt changed his stance.

Jumblatt has been a staunch critic of Syria and has openly accused the Damascus regime of killing the Rafik Hariri.(dpa)