The Phalange Party hoped on Monday that Lebanon’s Independence Day on Tuesday would be an occasion for all sides to become aware of the meaning of independence for which thousands of Lebanese martyrs have died for.

It hoped in a statement after its weekly politburo meeting that the “Lebanese government would assume its responsibilities for Lebanon and the region during these critical moments.”

Hizbullah and the AMAL movement on Monday said they would continue to stand by Syria and Iran against "international conspiracies" and "threats", as global pressure mounts on the two countries.

"The current events in Syria are clearly an international conspiracy against Syria's support for Arab and Islamic resistance movements in the region," they said in a joint statement.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat voiced on Monday his support of the funding of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, adding that the party understands Hizbullah’s insecurities over the matter.

He said in his weekly editorial in the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa magazine: “Keeping in mind its reservations, Hizbullah should cooperate positively with the issue of the funding in order to ease the tensions on the internal Lebanese scene.”

March 14 camp MPs withdrew on Monday from the parliamentary Finance and Budget Committee meeting over accusations Change and Reform bloc MP Ibrahim Kanaan directed against the head of the Mustaqbal bloc MP Fouad Saniora, reported Voice of Lebanon radio.

It said that the MPs refuse to return to the committee before Kanaan issues an apology over his allegations.

Scores of relatives of prisoners asking for general amnesty stormed the Grand Serail’s outside courtyard on Monday to protest the government’s failure to reduce prison sentences of inmates in jails across the country .

MP Ghassan Mkhaiber told Voice of Lebanon radio station (93.3) that the families of prisoners stormed the courtyard before the formation of a delegation that was set to meet with Premier Najib Miqati.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi stressed on Monday on the importance of launching dialogue with the Muslims amid the developments in the region.

“We are looking forward to cooperate and launch dialogue with the Muslims … We are reaching for them to overcome challenges and difficulties in the East,” al-Rahi said at the opening of the Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops Council in its 45th annual meeting.

The President of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Judge Sir David Baragwanath, will be visiting Lebanon this week for the first time, the U.N.-backed court said Monday in a statement.

Baragwanath will be accompanied by the Vice-President of the Tribunal, Judge Ralph Riachy, the STL said.

Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi hasn’t so far expressed his opinion on a letter sent to the cabinet by Finance Minister Mohammad Safadi demanding a loan from the treasury to pay Lebanon’s share of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s budget, sources said Monday.

The sources told several dailies that Qortbawi’s lack of response goes back to the need to hold consultations with Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun and to his belief that the cabinet should decide on the matter.

The March 8 forces said that the controversial issue of funding the Special Tribunal for Lebanon requires more discussions, expressing belief that the issue will not be on the cabinet’s agenda during Friday’s session.

The parliamentary majority and the government that is led by the March 8 forces didn’t object on putting the issue to vote at the cabinet, An Nahar newspaper reported on Monday.

Premier Najib Miqati is facing decisive 9 days during which he has to work hard to urge the cabinet into approving the funding of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

Miqati’s visitors quoted the prime minister as saying over the weekend that the cabinet should take the decision on the funding. “The time that we tried to gain is over.”