Miqati Proposes to Suleiman, Berri STL Clause as March 14 Warns against Ambiguous Wording

إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية W460

Premier Najib Miqati has informed President Michel Suleiman and Speaker Nabih Berri about his vision on the clause of the international tribunal in the cabinet draft policy statement, informed sources said Saturday.

While the sources refused to give details on Miqati’s proposed formula, they told al-Joumhouria daily that the prime minister asked both Suleiman and Berri to study his proposal and give him their remarks.

Other sources told al-Liwaa newspaper that Miqati presented to the two officials several options on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon clause. But they said that the consultations didn’t lead to an agreement on a clause acceptable by all sides.

The sources stressed that Miqati, Suleiman and MP Walid Jumblat, who form the centrist bloc in the government, are rejecting demands by Hizbullah to ignore the clause.

The 12-member committee tasked with drafting the policy statement is scheduled to hold another meeting on Monday. But the STL clause will most probably not be discussed given that it hasn’t yet received the approval of the major parties forming the cabinet.

March 14-led opposition sources warned that ambiguous wording in the tribunal clause “would not only put the government outside the international legitimacy but the Lebanese legitimacy as well.”

They told al-Joumhouria that the clause should take into consideration the demands of the majority of Lebanese.

Comments 5
Default-user-icon Le Phenicien (Guest) 25 June 2011, 10:23

There is a majority in that government , and that majority will decide the terms of the statement policy .
March 14 is in the opposition , they have no say at all , they will have to accept the decision of the majority of the government that is confirmed at the parliament . This is Democracy .
The so called STL is gone with the wind and with Saad Hariri to Paris .

Thumb ado.australia 25 June 2011, 11:01

The majority of the lebanese don't give a crap about the clause. The majority of Lebanese want 24hr electricity, fast Internet, reformed judiciary and everything else that goes with basic modern living standards. This is what most Lebanese are interested in seeing from the government. The stl is important to some Lebanese yes, but it's not what they think about when the power goes out, and when your waiting an hour to download a 10mb email.
All we hear is stl, stl, stl from these people.

Default-user-icon Umberto (Guest) 25 June 2011, 15:55

The now-defunct March 14 can warn all they want from behind bars. Unfortunately, those who will be sent to the guillotine will no longer be heard of.

Thumb joeleb 25 June 2011, 19:44

Le Phenicien, you are such a hypocrite! When March 14 was the majority in the government they could not make a decision because, the opposition back then, threatened them with murder, strikes, civil disobbedience etc etc....
Also, when March 14 was making a government, Aoun and his friends wanted veto power and would not accept otherwise...when the current majority was making the government, Aoun said that there is no need to give the opposition veto power....
a bunch of hypocrites, all of you

Thumb joeleb 25 June 2011, 19:46

ado.australia, you are absolutely right