Progressive Socialist Party chief Walid Jumblat brushed off the bickering between the March 8 and 14 forces on the international tribunal, saying they should instead avert a possible Lebanese civil war over the crisis in Syria.

“What’s happening in Lebanon, around us and in Syria could turn the tribunal into a minor issue if there was strife in Lebanon,” Jumblat said as he laid a wreath on the grave of his slain father Kamal Jumblat on the occasion of his birthday.

Hizbullah MP Kamel al-Rifai said the frigid ties between the party and Premier Najib Miqati would improve only if the premier puts the so-called false witnesses issue on the cabinet’s agenda.

In remarks to pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat, al-Rifai said: “The way Miqati behaved harms his ties with his allies and partners in the government.”

Energy Minister Jebran Bassil said the shutdown of the Zahrani power plant was a “dangerous precedent,” adding it was a violation similar to the funding of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

In remarks to al-Jadeed television, Bassil said: “What’s happening at this plant is a violation in addition to other violations carried out (in the country), including the funding of the tribunal.”

March 14 general-secretariat coordinator Fares Soaid described the shutdown of the Zahrani power plant as a “militia act” that should be confronted.

“We are facing a behavior of a militia that targets all sectors and lately the Zahrani power plant,” Soaid told An Nahar daily published Sunday.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati confirmed on Saturday his commitment to the Islamic principles, issued by Dar al-Fatwa, to safeguard the nation and the Sunni sect that gathers the factions of the Lebanese community.

“The Islamic principles are the basis of Lebanon’s national principles… it aims at saving Lebanon,” Miqati said during a meeting with Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani at the Grand Serail.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman is expected to visit Lebanon next week where he will hold talks with a number of Lebanese officials on the latest regional developments.

Al-Joumhouriya newspaper reported on Saturday that he will stress the need for Lebanon to respect the international sanctions against Syria, warning against any Syrian attempts to avoid these sanctions.

Syrian President Bashar Assad personally intervened to persuade Hizbullah to fund the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, revealed the Kuwaiti al-Seyassah daily on Saturday.

March 8 circles told the daily that the Syrian president sought to fund the STL in order to preserve Prime Minister Najib Miqati’s government because the Syrian regime considers it as a “necessity.”

The President of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon Judge Sir David Baragwanath will be directly answering questions from Lebanese citizens and journalists on Twitter next week, announced the STL through the social networking website on Friday.

It added that details on the session will be revealed next week.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati stated on Friday that Lebanon was successful in tackling its duty of funding the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which he said helped serve justice.

He said during the opening of the 55th Arab International Book Fair at Biel: “Lebanon was victorious in the funding and now governmental work will be resumed once again.”

LF leader Samir Geagea criticized on Friday Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s speech on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon on Thursday, accusing him of taking contradictory positions on the matter.

He asked before reporters at Maarab: “If the STL were an American-Israeli product as you claim, then wouldn’t it have been better for your majority to resign and force Premier Najib Miqati to step down as well in order to prevent the tribunal funding?”