Miqati Confident Hizbullah Would Understand his Move as Calls, SMS and Tweets Pour on him

Thousands of phone calls, text messages and tweets poured on Premier Najib Miqati upon his announcement that he had transferred funds to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, a move which he hoped would receive the support of the Lebanese political leaderships.

“Some of the analyses that appeared today about my move are untrue and not accurate,” Miqati told his visitors on Thursday, reiterating that his approval of the transfer of funds was a “national decision stemming from his patriotic and personal convictions.”

He said he respects the opinions of parties that have expressed reservations at the STL and its work and is “confident that all Lebanese parties, mainly Hizbullah and its wise leadership, would understand this step and appreciate the delicate circumstances.”

Miqati also hoped that the parties would put their national interest before any other consideration.

In remarks to al-Liwaa daily on Thursday, Miqati said the transfer of funds was an interpretation of his commitment to Dar al-Fatwa principles.

He said he had personally participated in the drafting of the principles which were approved by all Sunni political and spiritual leaderships.

At a broad meeting attended by Miqati, former Prime Minister Saad Hariri and other top Sunni personalities in Dar al-Fatwa in February, the conferees said: "The Lebanese have adhered to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon as a guarantee to justice and stability.”

Miqati averted a political crisis on Wednesday when he announced that Lebanon paid its share of funds for the STL that is investigating the Feb. 2005 assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri and 21 others.

“My insistence on funding the STL emanates from my keenness on protecting Lebanon, the people, the army and the resistance,” Miqati said.

Though he did not announce how the funds were transferred, media reports said the premier asked Central Bank governor Riyad Salameh to open an account to pay Lebanon’s share, around $32 million, through the Higher Relief Council.

Last week, Miqati threatened to step down if the government refused to fund the tribunal at a cabinet session. Hizbullah and its allies, mainly the Free Patriotic Movement, hold a majority in the government and had vowed to block the funding.

Miqati’s sources expressed their satisfaction with the way the funding was done and hoped in remarks to Ad-Diyar daily that the next stage would witness an activation of government work, the appointment of civil servants in vacated posts and the approval of the wage boost.

Those were among the conditions set by the FPM ministers for their return to cabinet sessions. Last Friday, the ministers boycotted a government meeting.

As Safir newspaper said that Miqati received hundreds of phone calls locally and from abroad upon his announcement of the transfer of funds.

He spent the entire afternoon and evening answering his calls and tweeting to his followers. According to As Safir, the premier had received by Wednesday night around 1,423 text messages that he had not read yet.

“We need to keep up the good work, at all levels, in both the public and private sectors,” Miqati tweeted, saying “our country needs us and deserves everything from us.”

“I'm doing what my conscience and beliefs stipulate I should do! Time will tell if my decisions were good for my country or not,” he told one follower.

He promised that the cabinet’s next step is to prioritize stability, tranquility, reform, debt management, economic recovery, job creation and growth.

Sources told al-Liwaa that the first cabinet session since the approval of the funds will be held at Baabda palace next Wednesday on the eve of President Michel Suleiman’s visit to Armenia.

The PM confirmed to his visitors on Thursday that he would call for a cabinet session next week to study social, administrative and development issues.