Mustaqbal Pursuing Initiative to Fund STL through Draft Law
The Mustaqbal movement is seeking to present a draft law on funding the Special Tribunal for Lebanon to parliament in order to tackle the $32 million Lebanon is obligated to pay for the international court.
Informed sources told As Safir newspaper in remarks published on Saturday that former Prime Minister Saad Hariri and his allies in the March 14 camp are aiming to counter Hizbullah and its allies’ attempts to thwart the funding of the court.
Lebanon is obligated to pay a 49 percent share of the STL’s funds.
The sources said that the Mustaqbal bloc MPs may seek to present a draft law on funding the tribunal after the 2012 state budget is approved.
As Safir added that the opposition is confident that it will receive the majority of votes at parliament should the funding be subject to a vote, explaining the March 14 MPs, Premier Najib Miqati, National Struggle Front MPs, and MPs supporting minister Mohammed Safadi and Ahmed Karami back the tribunal.
The March 14 camp is fearful however that the draft law would fall victim to stalling at joint committee meetings.
Miqati had recently announced that “it is in Lebanon’s interest to pay its share of the tribunal funds.”
Lebanon has not yet paid its share for the year 2011.
In 2010, the Hariri government paid the funds through a treasury advance that incurred criticism from Hizbullah and its allies.
At the time, the funding was not discussed at parliament due to the country’s political crisis, which eventually led to the toppling of Hariri’s government.
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