Miqati Sources Deny Syria Has Imposed Conditions on him

Prime Minister Najib Miqati’s sources denied on Monday a report that Syria had pressured the PM to give up a decision by Lebanese authorities to steer the country clear of the uprising against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

In remarks to several radio stations, sources close to Miqati said: “The policy of distancing ourselves (from the uprising in Syria) is still on.”

They also denied that the premier had received a message from Syria through a mediator to implement proportionality in the 2013 parliamentary elections.

Their denial came in response to a report in An Nahar daily that officials in the northern port city of Tripoli informed him that the Syrian regime has given the General Security Department a list of names of Lebanese supporters for Syrian rebels who should be seized, in reference to the arrest of Islamist Shadi al-Mawlawi on Saturday for his alleged ties to a terrorist organization.

Damascus also asked the Lebanese authorities to hand over Syrian opposition activists and gunmen who have escaped to Lebanon, the newspaper said.

The two requests came with several Syrian conditions that included the necessity for Lebanese authorities to set their stance from the uprising in the neighboring country, backing Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun in his demands, handing over the wanted Syrian refugees and adopting an electoral law based on proportionality, An Nahar added.