President Michel Suleiman’s support for Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi was seen as a response to local and foreign criticism of the prelate over his controversial statements on Hizbullah’s arms and Syria, An Nahar daily said Friday.

Suleiman visited al-Rahi at his summer residence in Diman on Thursday. He said the patriarch does not need anyone to defend him against the statements that he made during a visit to Paris earlier this month.

Speaker Nabih Berri will most probably refer the electricity draft law to parliament for approval on Thursday despite the failure of the joint parliamentary committees to approve the controversial $1.2 billion bill, his sources said.

The sources told As Safir daily that the next meeting of the committees on Monday will be the last no matter what results the MPs reach. Berri could call for a parliamentary session next Thursday to approve the bill, they said.

The March 14-led opposition has denied that it is seeking to propose a draft law in parliament to fund the Special Tribunal for Lebanon if the government fails to take such an action.

MPs Marwan Hamadeh and George Adwan and March 14 general-secretariat coordinator Fares Soaid told An Nahar daily on Friday that the opposition is not mulling to propose a draft law.

Lebanese leaders have reached an “implicit understanding” to fund the international tribunal after receiving Western warnings about possible sanctions if Lebanon rejects to pay its share of funds, An Nahar daily reported Friday.

The newspaper said that President Michel Suleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri and Premier Najib Miqati have been informed by Western officials that any procrastination in the payment of Lebanon’s share would expose it to sanctions that could target its banking sector.

A unit from the Syrian army accidentally fired at the Lebanese army when the former infiltrated northern Lebanon on Thursday, reported the National News Agency.

It explained that a 15-member unit from the Syrian army entered Lebanon near the northern town of al-Mwanseh as it was following shepherds along the Lebanese-Syrian border.

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri voiced on Thursday his support for the Lebanese people and their ability to defend Lebanon’s democratic system against all attempts to target it.

He said in a statement on the occasion of International Democracy Day: “We are voicing a concern over democracy today because of the threat of arms, which are democracy’s greatest enemy.”

U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly stressed on Monday the need for Lebanon to commit to all of its international obligations.

She made her statement after holding talks with President Michel Suleiman at the Baabda Palace.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati stressed on Thursday that Lebanon is capable of overcoming the difficult phase the region is going through as it did in the past in overcoming several crises that affected its economic and social sectors.

He said during the opening of the Arab Investment Conference for Banking, Industry, Tourism and Real Estate held in Beirut: “We are keen on refraining from meddling in the affairs of any Arab country.”

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat received a verbal message from Syrian President Bashar Assad informing him that Damascus has decided to freeze relations with the MP for the time being, al-Liwaa newspaper reported.

Last week, Assad criticized Jumblat’s statements in which he advised former Prime Minister Saad Hariri to follow his example and refrain from getting involved in developments in Syria, informed sources told the daily.

The joint parliamentary committees discussed on Thursday the draft law on the electricity project that was referred to parliament following a cabinet approval last week.

The draft law includes only two articles. The first allows the government to begin the implementation of the project before receiving the funds from the state budget and the second calls for the implementation of the law upon its publication in the official gazette.