‘It’s Either White or Black,’ Hizbullah and FPM Tell Miqati About STL Clause
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The bickering between Premier Najib Miqati and the Hizbullah-led March 8 coalition that left the country in a political vacuum for months until the government was formed on June 13 is now threatening to delay the adoption of the policy statement.
Al-Liwaa daily said Tuesday that the representatives of Hizbullah and the Free Patriotic Movement in the 12-member committee drafting the policy statement informed Miqati that they don’t accept a blurred clause on the controversial international tribunal.
During the committee’s fifth meeting on Monday, Hizbullah’s Mohammed Fneish backed by FPM’s Jebran Bassil told Miqati: “We don’t accept a blurred clause on the tribunal. We want a clause that is either white or black.”
The “firmness” in their statement led Miqati to cut the meeting short and leave the conference room at the Grand Serail, al-Liwaa said.
Hizbullah and its March 8 allies have called for an end to Lebanon’s cooperation with the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, but Miqati is seeking to adopt a clause that appeases the international community which has repeatedly urged him to keep Lebanon committed to international resolutions.
Fneish told As Safir that Hizbullah’s stance from the court is clear. “When we receive a proposal on a clause in the policy statement, we would discuss it and see how much it is in harmony with the party’s stance,” he said.
But the new dispute between Miqati and the Hizbullah-led alliance began to remind the Lebanese of the government formation crisis that lasted for around 5 months, ministerial sources told An Nahar newspaper.
The sources said that the members of the committee are discussing all clauses of the policy statement except for the tribunal clause. They ruled out its discussion during the committee’s meeting on Tuesday afternoon.
Economy Minister Nicolas Nahhas told As Safir that the conferees would make their final reading of the economic clauses, particularly the amendments made on the issue of infrastructure and services.
28 June 2011, 09:07
70
What can PM Mikati do without the majority ? Nothing but to accept what they propose .
28 June 2011, 12:39
04
Government or no,STL is coming,,international justice is coming,rockets won't help,heads will roll.Moderation and decency will prevail in Lebanon and Syria
28 June 2011, 12:54
03
le phenicien you forget that fpm and hiz by themselves do not have majority...and that this government has not yet been approved by Parliament...
28 June 2011, 14:04
04
Ya Phenicien, you are living in dream land, you and your allies. You think you have taken over the government, but in fact you are swimming in deep shit, the very shit you keep regurgitating.
Which majority are you talking about?
It took you 5 months to form a government and it will take you a full month to impose a government statement, and it won't happen.
If Mikati does not approve the STL clause in the statement, you are going nowhere. You will end up with Mikati resigning and losing the so called majority you keep rejoicing about.
We will be back to square one and a total 50/50 deadlock.
Can you tell me why this vehement resistance against the STL? If Hizbollah is so sure of their innocence, why are they worried?
Why are you against the STL as well? What has it got to do with you?
28 June 2011, 15:07
01
I doubt that FPM and Hezbollah can get the necessary majority in the Council of Ministers to approve what they want in the Policy Statement with regard to the STL. Jumblatt has instructed his contingent to vote to keep the provision as it was and he has instructed his 11 Deputies in Parliament to vote for keeping the provision as it was in the previous policy statement of the previous government. Without Jumblatt's vote, there is no majority position that reflects FPM/Hezbollah, and Jumblatt left the country so that he can't be intimidated into changing his mind.
Hezbollah is not just in a confrontation with Mikati, but with Assad, who also can't stand the STL provision being changed, or diluted in a way that will incite the Sunni of Syria further against his regime. Mikati, Jumblatt and Sulieman are simply reflecting this reality with the position they have taken.
Only by killing Saad Hariri can Assad find relief, and Hariri is away too for this reason.
28 June 2011, 15:11
00
The real question is what would Hezb and FPM do without Mikati... The main point is that they cannot claim that they have formed a government before it gets parliament trust and meanwhile, the winds of change are in full force
28 June 2011, 15:42
50
@ True Lebanese ,
What about the false withnesses ? And what about the 4 innocent générals that spent four years in " your " dirty jail for political reasons ?
Your so called tribunal is a joke and Will Never see the day .
28 June 2011, 15:43
03
either u comitted the crime or not,there is no between,i don't care about hariri ,it's the prime minister of bilad el arz,the truth will burn u.
28 June 2011, 16:09
11
Beiruti.. What rubbish. The Sunni of Syria would not gve a crap about the Lebanese STL clause, in the Lebanese cabinet policy statement!
28 June 2011, 17:02
40
TYPICAL MARCH 14 AND KHAWANA REPORTING: The bickering (NO SUCH THING) between Premier Najib Miqati and the Hizbullah-led March 8 coalition (ONLY IN YOUR DREAMS) that left the country in a political vacuum (ANY VACUUM IS 1000 TIMES BETTER THAN SINKING IN A POOL OF HARIRI FILTHf) for months until the government was formed on June 13 is now threatening to delay (NO RUSH) the adoption of the policy statement.
28 June 2011, 21:42
04
Phoenicien, about the four generals, well the way they treated and repressed free lebanese during their collaboration with syrian occupation,they deserved it anyways although it was a light sentence.FPM militants were detained and tortured by Jamil el Sayed services.
As for STL Aoun accusedSyria live on french TV, didnèt he? If he was wrong he should admit it officialy.
With such stands you cannot be from the FPM, you are a hezi in disguise,can only fool dahyeh(kella)people.Va jouer!
29 June 2011, 00:06
03
About false witnesses,Michel Aoun should be one ,he accused Syria,either he was right,and if wrong he is a major false witness. About the generals Aoun cursed them when in exile and accused them of being syrian agents ,what changed since then? Iranian cheques,besides him being ABnormal.
29 June 2011, 01:56
10
Release this indictment already, what's going to happen? The lebanese judiciary imprisons the accused in HA? Yeah right. Protests by M14? Good for them, their support showed in March when the protest had as many people as HA bring out on a "Let's grow a tree day". Isolation by the international community? 80% of our GDP comes from domestic services, tourism and trade via Syria so yeah, whatever.
