Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun on Wednesday said that
Prime Minister Najib Mikati “wrongfully vowed” that Lebanon will commit
to providing its share of funding to the UN-backed Special Tribunal for
Lebanon (STL).
“Mikati ignored the law and handled the issue while believing he can
fund [the STL], but he cannot,” Aoun told the Monte Carlo radio station.
He said that the premier’s promises “should not bind the Lebanese state.”
“There is no agreement between the Lebanese government and the UN Security Council concerning the tribunal.”
In a reference to UN Security Council Resolution 1757 –which called
for the creation of the STL – Aoun said that “the decision to establish
the tribunal came from one side and was imposed on Lebanon under
Chapter VII [of the UN Charter].”
“We do not want [the government] to provide its share of funding to
the STL because we must not pay money we are not responsible for.”
Aoun on Tuesday said that Mikati “does not have the right” to commit his government to funding the tribunal, adding that the premier should “fund the STL out of his own pocket.”
The Hezbollah-led March 8 parties – which currently dominate Lebanon’s cabinet – have opposed a clause in the Lebanese annual state budget pertaining to the funding of the tribunal, while Mikati has repeatedly voiced Lebanon’s commitment to the STL.
The Hezbollah-led March 8 parties – which currently dominate Lebanon’s cabinet – have opposed a clause in the Lebanese annual state budget pertaining to the funding of the tribunal, while Mikati has repeatedly voiced Lebanon’s commitment to the STL.
Four Hezbollah members have been indicted by the STL for the 2005
assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri. However, the Shia group
strongly denied the charges and refuses to cooperate with the court.
Lebanon contributes 49 percent of the STL’s annual funding.
No comments:
Post a Comment