Daily Star - Mikati to resign if Lebanon fails to fund STL, November 24, 2011

By Fadi Chahine, Dana Khraiche

BEIRUT: Prime Minster Najib Mikati reiterated Thursday his strong belief in the need to fund the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, warning that he would not head a government that fell short of its international obligations.
“I refuse to be in a post in which Lebanon fails to commit to its international obligations ... I think by resigning, I would be protecting Lebanon,” Mikati told Marcel Ghanem during a late night interview on LBC television.
"As a prime minister, I need to preserve Lebanon," Mikati added.
Mikati’s comments were the first clear indication the prime minister, who formed his Cabinet less than five months ago, would step down from his post should his Cabinet fail to vote in favor of funding the U.N.-backed court probing the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
“Is it reasonable for any prime minister to ignore any process that would reveal the truth regarding the assassination of a former prime minister?” Mikati asked.
Throughout the interview the usually calm prime minister appeared defensive and repeated on several occasions a plea to politicians to place Lebanon’s interests above all others.
“Where are we taking the country?” Mikati asked.
“My position is centrist and Lebanon’s interest lies in being united with stability and protecting its civil peace,” he said.
Although he would not go into the details on how the government was likely to vote on the controversial issue, Mikati said at least 12 ministers would vote in favor, adding there was the possibility that other ministers might do the same.
The issue of funding for the divisive court will be on Cabinet’s agenda next week.
While Mikati, along with President Michel Sleiman and Progressive Socialist Party head MP Walid Jumblatt have voiced support for funding the court, the March 8 coalition, which holds a majority of Cabinet seats, has voiced its opposition to funding.
Mikati said he did not expect Hezbollah to vote in favor of funding, but voiced hope that ministers would see the need to protect Lebanon from possible repercussions should Lebanon fail to fund the court.
“I don't expect Hezbollah to support the tribunal but I expect ministers to have a sense of patriotism to protect the country. And if they are not with me on this, then they do not have that,” Mikati told his host.
The STL, established in 2007 to try those involved in the assassination of Hariri, indicted four members of Hezbollah in the case in late June. The resistance group has denied involvement and vowed not to cooperate with the court, which it describes as part of a “U.S.-Israeli project” aimed at targeting the party.
Earlier in the interview, Mikati addressed the need for Lebanon to remain neutral regarding unrest in neighboring Syria and said the decisions he and his ministers had taken at the international and regional levels had been to keep Lebanon out of harm's way.
“We cannot be adventurous when it comes to Syria and our vote must be taken in the proper context,” Mikati said.
The prime minister said that he supported ways of ending the crisis in Syria but that he did not agree with the League’s decision to suspend Syria’s membership.
“We agreed on everything in the Arab League plan, we only voted against suspending Syria's membership,” Mikati said.
Earlier this month, the Arab League voted to suspend Syria after it failed to implement an initiative by the league to end a crackdown by Damascus on protesters in a bid to end the violence that has gripped the country for over eight months.
Eighteen countries voted in favor of the move. Iraq abstained while Lebanon, Syria and Yemen voted against the decision.
During the interview, Mikati also rejected accusations that his government was doing the bidding of foreign parties at the expense of Lebanon’s interest.
“I’ve always been clear on where I stand and no one can question my patriotism,” he said.
Touching on the contentious issue of Hezbollah’s weapons, Mikati said he was against the possession of arms outside the jurisdiction of the state but added that Hezbollah’s arms are exceptional since they are directed at Israel.
"Let's be realistic, I do not accept arms possession outside the jurisdiction of the state ... but I am with the resistance's arms against Israel in the south," he said.

Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2011/Nov-24/155102-lebanon-must-shield-itself-from-unrest-in-syria-pm-mikati.ashx#ixzz1eieeMfDa
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)