STL Funding To the Front: Aoun Rejects, Berri to Democratic Game

As the Mikati government recorded remarkable progress on many labor and lively fronts, the Wednesday strike fate is to be decided on the next 48 hours.
 

So: Will the government succeed in recording a historic achievement by starting to resolve social problems from their roots?
 

Will the government succeed in planting a flower of hope amid the black desert full of chronic crises?
 

Answer depends on the clock and the Lebanese has only hope and wishes before the announcement of results.
 

Gov't, Labors Last Chance

Starting Monday, ministerial meetings are to be condensed in order to handle present lively demands files.

The first meeting is to be held as the ministerial committee in charge of studying the living conditions is to meet under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

Labor Union demands, correction of wages, price controls in the market will be at the heart of the discussion. Lebanese newspapers reported that Mikati will also meet during the next two days the Labor Union and the concerned economic bodies.
 
"As-Safir" Lebanese daily reported Monday that that Mikati met Sunday President Michel Suleiman to discuss the proposed solutions to the demands of the unions.
 
Discussing the agenda of the government's meeting scheduled Tuesday, Mikati informed Suleiman about his meetings with the economic committees and House Speaker Nabih Berri.
 
"Mikati held contacts far from the spotlight with a number of stakeholders," "as-Safir" informed quoting Mikati's circles as saying "we are dealing calmly and in depth with the issue and we hope to reach the needed results."

In the same context, the cost index commission terminated its meetings with a number of recommendations which will be submitted within a comprehensive report to the governmental meeting Tuesday.

Ban Interferes, Aoun Rejects STL

Moving to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon funding, "an-Nahar" has learned that Mikati discussed the topic with Berri during their weekend meeting.

"Berri advised Mikati to slow down in approaching STL funding as we still have time noting that former PM Saad Hariri had previously delayed the payment of Lebanon's share in the tribunal on December 2010," "as-Safir" reported.

Berri viewed that this item will be of course discussed in the government and "if an agreement was difficult let us vote and democratically resolve the dispute."
 
Addressing Mikati, "as-Safir" quoted Berri saying that "if you want to send the funding item as an independent project to the parliament, I have no objection, and then this will be an opportunity to ask the legitimacy of establishment of the tribunal, because it did not pass in the Parliament as required by constitutional principles."

In a related context, "as-Safir" learned that Mikati agreed during their meeting to invite the joint parliamentary committees to hold a hearing next Monday, attended by Mikati and a number of ministers, in order to question the government about oil exploration, both in terms of the maritime demarcation with Cyprus or in terms of procedures' implementation and the preparation of tenders.
 
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon sent to Lebanon with Ambassador Nawaf Salam a message requesting that Lebanon increases its share that must be paid to the tribunal, arguing that there is a change in the value of the euro and other currencies," "as-Safir" mentioned.

On the STL, "Change and Reform Bloc" Leader MP Michel Aoun stressed on Monday that his parliamentary bloc fully rejects the STL funding in a stance that "is independent from the position of other parties."

"No to the funding of the tribunal no matter what the stances of our political allies are," Aoun declared.
 
In an interview with "an-Nahar" daily, Aoun clarified that "this stance is our own and is independent from that of other parties," adding that "Hizbullah could agree to fund the STL but we don't."

"It is a matter of principle. We can't pay money to the STL without an understanding or an agreement between us and the United Nations Security Council," the head of the Change and Reform bloc emphasized.
 
Explaining that rejection to fund the STL doesn't mean that he was against justice or the trial of former PM Rafik Hariri's suspected assassins, Aoun said that the "tribunal funds were being spent illegally."

He slammed the STL as illegitimate for being established by under chapter 7 of the UN charter.
 
"This happens only if there was a danger to international peace but this danger never existed," Aoun added.

Commenting on PM's Mikati and Finance Minister Mohammed Safadi's position from the STL, Aoun said: "They are violating the laws and the Lebanese constitution."

"No one can make illegal commitments and impose them on me. Let them pay from their own wealth."

Refuting rumors that the government would collapse over the dispute on the funding, Aoun stressed that the government's existence was not in danger.

"Those who want to leave the government over the funding have already planned to get out of it," Aoun said, adding "no one can extort us internationally and scare us."

On the Syrian developments, Aoun announced that the Syrian regime has crossed the line of danger.

The Syrian people should "choose between calm democratic change and blood," he said, adding: "I believe the majority wants calm progress that's why President Bashar al-Assad's reform program is getting enough support."

Rai in US , Allouch's Fate

At another level, Maronite Patriarch Bshara Rai pointed out that "the Patriarch should hold no color except the Lebanese colors," stressing that "he is with all the parties and movements and all of the Lebanese people."

From the US, the Patriarch pointed out "Lebanon's interdependence with the Arab World because our depth and our destiny is with it."

"We have to be tough in order to preserve Lebanon's message in these dangerous circumstances in the Arab World," he added.

Meanwhile, "as-Safir" reported that members of the "Future" executive body are to issue a decision against the General Coordinator of the stream in Tripoli Mustafa Alloush after his criticism to the Saudi regime.
 

Source: Lebanese newspapers, Translated and Edited by moqawama.org