Future bloc MP Ammar Houri told MTV television on Sunday that the decision to transfer Lebanon’s annual share of funding for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) was taken by Damascus “in order to protect the current Lebanese government from collapsing.”
Houri said that the present government “is Damascus’ government in Lebanon.”
The MP added that Lebanon “today serves as a Foreign Ministry for the Syrian government” and that the Syrian leadership took a “decisive decision” to preserve the current Lebanese government “regardless of Hezbollah’s reservations over the STL.”
Houri added that Speaker Nabih Berri and Hezbollah’s allies implemented the decision to pay Lebanon’s share of the STL’s funding.
Mikati announced on Wednesday that he transferred Lebanon’s annual share of funding to the UN-backed court probing the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
The Netherlands-based tribunal has indicted four Hezbollah operatives in connection with the murder, but they have not surrendered to the STL.
The Netherlands-based tribunal has indicted four Hezbollah operatives in connection with the murder, but they have not surrendered to the STL.
Lebanon is responsible for providing 49 percent of the STL's financing, which amounts to some $35 million (25.2 million euros) this year.
The issue of the STL and its funding has contributed to a split in the Lebanese political landscape, pitting the pro-Syrian March 8 alliance led by the Shia group Hezbollah against the Western-backed March 14 coalition, which is mainly directed by the Future Movement of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri.
Speaker Berri is also the leader of the Shia Amal Movement, affiliated with the March 8 camp.
Regarding the issue related to witnesses who allegedly gave false testimonies in the case of Rafik Hariri’s 2005 assassination, Houri told MTV television on Sunday: “ There is no file titled ‘false witnesses’.”
While Houri said that the current government “is the worst of all governments”, he added that what happened at the Zahrani power plant this week “was a terrible scandal.”
The Electricité du Liban (EDL) company announced on Friday that power was cut off in almost all Lebanese regions after some of the company’s employees shut down the Zahrani power plant.
However, in a statement issued on Sunday, EDL said that the Zahrani power plant was reactivated at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday and will “completely” go back on-line Monday morning “unless technical problems occur.”
However, in a statement issued on Sunday, EDL said that the Zahrani power plant was reactivated at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday and will “completely” go back on-line Monday morning “unless technical problems occur.”
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