Now Lebanon - March 14 calls on cabinet to finalize issue of STL funding - September 14, 2011

March 14 General Secretariat on Wednesday called on the government to finalize the issue of paying Lebanon’s share of funding to the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) “away from media and political maneuvers.”
Following its weekly meeting, March 14 issued a statement rejecting all attempts that aim to procrastinate paying Lebanon’s financial share to the STL which is probing the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
“We call on the government to finalize the issue… [and stop] distributing roles between the cabinet’s parties to buy time and attempt to obstruct the tribunal’s work.”
PM Najib Mikati said on Sunday night said that Lebanon’s implementation of UN Security Council resolutions is a “fact and not a choice,” and said there is “no selectivity” regarding which resolutions to implement, in a reference to Lebanon’s share of funding for the STL.

Four Hezbollah members have been indicted by the STL in the Hariri murder. However, the Shia group strongly denied the charges and refused to cooperate with the court.
The UN-backed tribunal is funded by an assortment of donor countries from around the world as well as Lebanon. However, Hezbollah and other March 8 parties and figures have spoken out against Lebanon’s ties and funding for the tribunal and called it a tool to incite sectarian strife in Lebanon.
Commenting on the current Syrian situation, March 14 reiterated its solidarity with the Syrian people and their demands for freedom, democracy and dignity.
It also called on the Lebanese community as well as the Arab and international communities to stand by the Syrian people through “all appropriate means” to stop “campaigns of murder and violence” that peaceful protesters are being subjected to by the Syrian regime.
“Solidarity [with the Syrian people] through the media is no longer enough to protect the people from the massacres they are subjected to. It has become important that the Arab and the international communities resort to practical steps that liberate the Syrian people from the regime, which insists [on adopting] the policy of violence and overpower.”
March 14 also condemned “repeated attempts of Lebanese authorities to support the oppressive Syrian regime.”
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s troops have cracked down on protests against almost five decades of Baath Party rule which broke out mid-March, killing over 2,600 people according to the UN Human Rights Committee, and triggering a torrent of international condemnation.