Opposition Warns March 8 against Hampering STL Funding
The March 14-led opposition warned against any attempt by the March 8 forces to obstruct the funding of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon probing the assassination of ex-Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, An Nahar newspaper reported on Monday.
High-ranking opposition sources said that March 8 is “trapping” PM Najib Miqati to subject the funding issue to vote in the cabinet or turn the file into the parliament.
The sources added that this will put Lebanon in “confrontation” with the international community.
They stressed that the PM and President Michal Suleiman should confront these attempts.
“The president and the cabinet are responsible for the STL after they pledged to commit to it” during their visit to New York last month, the sources said.
However, they warned that the government will have to face harsh consequences if the funding was obstructed.
Lebanon has to pay $32 million share to the court, nearly half of the court’s annual $65 million budget.
Hizbullah has rejected to fund the STL saying the court is an American and Israeli product aimed at targeting the party. The tribunal has issued indictments against four of the party’s members.
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