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| Miqati Reportedly Blessed by Syria, France, Qatar: Opposition Demands Him to Stop STL |
| 2011-01-25 |
| [An Nahar] Najib Mikati's candidacy for the premiership has reportedly won the blessing of La Belle France and Qatar in addition to Syria as the Opposition's condition primarily called for the abolition of the international tribunal. As-Safir newspaper on Monday said Miqati's nomination came following intensive contacts between Gay Paree and Doha that also included prominent regional capitals. It said Miqati is expected to receive a "comfortable" percentage of votes against Hariri, particularly since at least two of his north Leb allies (Mohammad Safadi and Ahmad Karami) will vote for him and given that Druze leader Walid WallyJumblat ... who's been on every side in Leb at least four times... will most likely secure 8 votes from his Democratic Gathering bloc in Miqati's favor. As-Safir said AMAL Movement and Hizbullah MPs Ali Hasan Khalil and Haj Hussein Khalil visited Miqati at his Verdun residence on Saturday and conveyed to him the Opposition's desire to bring him as Leb's new prime minister to head the next Government which would take upon itself the termination of the agreement between Leb and the international tribunal, the withdrawal of Lebanese judges from the tribunal and ending financing it, in addition to referring the false witnesses' issue to the Judicial Council. Mikqati, however, according to the report, considered that any commitment of this kind is to be taken unanimously by Cabinet. "Cabinet can discuss these issues and decide which it deems appropriate," Miqati reportedly told AMAL and Hizbullah delegates. A senior Mustaqbal ... the Future Movement, political party led by Saad Hariri... Movement official, on the other hand, acknowledged that Miqati has been named by the Opposition after he agreed to adopt a position against the Special Tribunal for Leb. The pro-Opposition Al-Akhbar newspaper, meanwhile, said Miqati also made a "brief" visit to Damascus where he met President Bashar Assad. |
| Posted by:Fred |