Aoun: No One, Not Even Miqati, Has Right to Vow to Fund STL
Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun voiced on Tuesday his objection to the funding of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, criticizing Premier Najib Miqati for pledging to fund it.
He said after the Change and Reform bloc’s weekly meeting: “No one, not even Miqati, has the right to vow to anyone that Lebanon will commit to funding the tribunal.”
He added that he opposes its funding through illegal means, demanding that Miqati and President Michel Suleiman fund the tribunal themselves at their own expense.
“From a constitutional and legal point of view, no one, not even Miqati, has the right to fund it without a legal agreement, because anything other than that would be a theft of public funds,” he stressed.
Last week, Miqati had announced before the United Nations Security Council that Lebanon will commit to funding the STL.
It is obligated to fund 49 percent of its budget.
Addressing, the state budget, Aoun noted that the proposal that Finance Minister Mohammed al-Safadi needs further discussions.
“We will not present concessions in this matter because we are not here to cover up violations,” the MP declared.
“Every illegal action must be revealed,” he stressed.
Furthermore, the MP accused Safadi and Interior Minister Marwan Charbel of obstructing funds presented for municipalities.
“Everyone wants to violate the laws, are we living in a tribe mentality or is there a constitution that needs to be implemented?” asked the FPM leader.
On the issue of appointments in state positions, he remarked: “We have the greatest role in determining these appointments and the candidates we are proposing have been wrong morally.”
“Some people currently in power need to be changed, we want honorable individuals to be appointed in state and we are not concerned with their political affiliations,” he added.
“The FPM will confront the appointment of any incompetent individual,” Aoun stated.
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