Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi told Voice of Lebanon on Thursday that the committee responsible for drafting the ministerial statement has finalized many points on the political and development level but is waiting for Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s plan concerning the Special Tribunal for Lebanon STL).

The committee responsible for drafting the ministerial statement held its second meeting on Wednesday and is scheduled to meet on Thursday afternoon in order to continue drafting the statement.

The issue of the UN resolution affecting the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) is one of the most important for the opposition. Mikati has been careful over what to say but Speaker Nabih Berri told Al Jumhouria newspaper in a report published Wednesday in response to a question on the content of the ministerial statement :

“We are also committed to UN resolutions and specially 1701 , but as far as the STL is concerned when we get to it we will pray for it”.

The males only cabinet of 30 ministers was announced Monday June 13 by PM Mikati after nearly five months of deliberations within the Iranian and Syrian-backed March 8 parties.