Ban Says Tribunal Work Should not be Affected by Political Developments

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expects Lebanon’s new government to abide by its obligation to cooperate with the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, his spokesman said.

Ban “expects any government that is formed in Lebanon to abide by the international obligations that Lebanon has undertaken,” spokesman Martin Nesirky told a news briefing in New York on Tuesday.

“The Secretary-General strongly supports the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which is an independent judicial body. The work of the Special Tribunal should be unaffected by political developments,” he said.

Nesirky said that Ban calls on all the parties to maintain calm and avoid any act of violence.

Ban also welcomed the statement issued by former Prime Minister Saad Hariri urging calm.

“The immediate concern of all Lebanese leaders should be the maintenance of domestic stability and the avoidance of incidents that could easily escalate,” Nesirky said.