Lebanon government poised to fall due to Hariri tribunal funding

Lebanon government is poised to fall very soon either way it goes with the Hariri tribunal...

If it's not funded :
Mikati hints he will step down if STL funding not secured

Prime Minister Najib Mikati hinted that he will resign if his government fails to provide its annual share of funding to the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

If he resigns, the government falls.

And if it's funded :

Report: Hezbollah to topple Lebanon government if it funds Hariri tribunal (Haaretz)

But could be a while before it falls... at this point it will only depend on Miqati.
Opposition Doubts Cabinet Will Be Held on Wednesday

Cabinet may not be held on Wednesday in light of the Change and Reform ministers’ boycott of Friday’s government session, reported the Kuwaiti al-Seyassah newspaper on Sunday.

Prominent March 14 parliamentary sources told the daily that Hizbullah and the Free Patriotic Movement will not allow cabinet to convene ever again.

This means that government will not be held any time soon, which also means that the funding of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon will not be addressed, they added.

If Hezbollah topples the government, will they do it the democratic way, ask for new elections or just take it over by force? Even with new elections, if Hezbollah gets a big majority, which they don't have now, what will Israel-US do? They say Hezbollah are terrorists and won't tolerate a terrorist group in charge of Lebanon...

Not only what will Israel-US do, but what the opposition, March 14, will do... so far they've been peaceful... but if Hezbollah were to take control by force, it could lead to civil war.

Anyway, we shall see if Miqati has enough balls to resign if Hezbollah won't allow the government to meet to fund or not fund the tribunal.

Collision course here we go :
Lebanon transfers funds to Hariri tribunal

Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced on Wednesday that he transferred Lebanon’s annual share of funding to a UN court probing the murder of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri.

“I have transferred this morning Lebanon’s share of funding to the tribunal… out of my keenness to protect Lebanon,” Mikati told reporters during a conference at the Grand Serail.

Al-Manar: Nasrallah to address STL fund transfer on Thursday

Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah will deliver a speech on Thursday to address Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s announcement of the transfer of Lebanon’s share of funding to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Al-Manar television reported on Wednesday.

Could get real nasty real fast in Lebanon.

Good news!

Hezbollah: We disagree with Lebanon funding UN-backed Hariri court, but we won’t act (Reuters)

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