Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat on Monday lauded the stances of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri over the cabinet formation process, describing him as a “statesman” who has put “the higher national interest” above all else.

“One must praise ex-PM Saad Hariri's stance, which came at a critical moment that Lebanon and the Arab region are going through, amid rapid changes and major transformations that are being accompanied by rivers of blood and incessant bleeding against the backdrop of unprecedented sectarian and religious divisions,” said Jumblat in his weekly op-ed in al-Anbaa.

Phalange Party leader MP Amin Gemayel called on Monday for the formation of a cabinet capable of confronting all the constitutional deadlines in the country and overseeing the upcoming presidential elections.

“Three upcoming deadlines will decide the fate of Lebanon,” Gemayel said after talks with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi at Bkirki.

Syrian President Bashar Assad described the Special Tribunal for Lebanon as “politicized,” saying that it's only a tool to pressure Hizbullah.

"Nine years have passed since the beginning of this trial. Has justice been served? Every accusation was made for political reasons," he said on Sunday in an exclusive interview with Agence France Presse, days after the Special Tribunal for Lebanon began hearing evidence in the 2005 killing of Rafik Hariri.

The defense teams of two of the suspects accused of involvement in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination made their opening statements on Monday, the third day of trial held at the seat of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in The Hague.

They cited lack of evidence against the accused and stressed the difficulty of their role over lack of cooperation of the Lebanese authorities and lack of time.

Officials close to Premier-designate Tammam Salam expressed a cautious optimism on the government formation process and said ex-Premier Saad Hariri proved his good intentions when he announced he was ready to share power with Hizbullah.

Salam is “cautiously optimistic” over the latest developments after nine months of stalemate on the cabinet formation, the officials told al-Mustaqbal daily published on Sunday.

The political violence that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon is confronting is the source of sharp divisions among the Lebanese, U.S. Ambassador to Beirut David Hale has said.

“I don't think that the Tribunal caused the divisions in Lebanon,” he told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat published on Sunday.

The Hague - Naharnet Exclusive

Defense counsel for the accused in the assassination of former premier Rafik Hariri emerged confused and divided from the first two days of the trial at the headquarters of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in The Hague.

The Hague - Naharnet Exclusive

The Prosecution of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon on Friday crowned its 2-day presentation about the outcome of investigations into the assassination of former premier Rafik Hariri by unveiling the route taken by the booby-trapped truck, the hierarchy of the assassination squad and a series of elements that might lead to major surprises as the trial moves forward.

The defense lawyers of the four suspects accused of carrying out the assassination of late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri stated on Friday that the crime is still “motiveless,” complaining also about the “noncooperation” of Lebanese authorities.

“Until this day, the General Prosecutor has not given any motives that could have triggered carrying out the assassination of Hariri,” suspect Mustafa Badreddine's lead counsel Antoine Korkmaz said at a press conference in The Hague.

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Friday announced that he is showing positivity in the cabinet formation process, noting that Hizbullah is a political party that is leading a “big coalition.”

“We are positive regarding the cabinet formation process. This is something good for the country and for stability in the country,” Hariri said in an interview.