The March 14 forces snapped back at Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah hinting that he had no constitutional authority to give instructions to Premier Najib Miqati.

“We know that he isn’t a constitutional expert but he should know that the constitution clearly states that any grant or donation to the Lebanese state which is approved by the cabinet becomes treasury money,” senior March 14 sources told An Nahar daily on Friday.

U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugee, and Migration Affairs Kelly Clements has underscored the important responsibility of Lebanon to ensure the safety of Syrian refugees, the U.S. embassy said in a statement.

Clements held talks with Social Affairs Minister Wael Abou Faour, Higher Relief Council Secretary General Ibrahim Bashir, and senior officials from the U.N. High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) on Thursday, the statement said.

Hizbullah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said Thursday his party would not “create a problem in the country” over Premier Najib Miqati’s decision to fund the U.N.-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon, in order to preserve the national interest.

"Even though we remain opposed to the tribunal, we are not going to cause trouble as we place the country's national interest above all else," Nasrallah said in a televised address.

Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel hailed on Thursday Lebanon’s funding of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, saying that it saved Lebanon “from a number of dangers that were threatening it.”

He told Voice of Lebanon radio: “We want the government to recognize the principle of justice, especially the STL, and hopefully it will exert efforts to arrest the four suspects wanted by the tribunal.”

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon received on Thursday Lebanon’s contribution to its budget, it announced in a statement.

“The STL thanks the government of Lebanon for the full payment for 2011, which we received Thursday morning,” it added.

The head of the Mustaqbal bloc MP Fouad Saniora stated on Thursday that Christians in Lebanon and the Arab world have long been pioneers in committing to democracy.

He said after holding talks with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi at Bkirki: “The democratic changes in the Arab world therefore help bolster the role of Lebanon and its Christians.”

U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon telephoned PM Najib Miqati congratulating him on his decision to transfer the funds to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, the premier’s office said Thursday.

It said in a statement that Ban stressed to Miqati his support to exerted efforts to grantee stability and peace in Lebanon.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat praised on Thursday Prime Minister Najib Miqati’s decision to fund the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, criticizing however some reactions from the opposition, which he deemed unreasonable.

He said in a statement: “Some opposition members should have reacted to it positively rather than focusing on their personal interests.”

Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdul Karim Ali said on Thursday that paying Lebanon’s share of funds for the U.N.-backed court probing the murder of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri is a Lebanese affair, praising any effort that fortifies Lebanon against the Israeli threats.

“Concerning the STL, it’s a Lebanese affair… We bless any effort that strengthens Lebanon and stabilizes it,” Ali added after a meeting with ex-PM Omar Karami.

The Free Patriotic Movement has given its consent to the funding of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon to avert the collapse of the government although it was not yet clear on Thursday if it agreed to the way the transfer was made.

“The citizens’ problems are more important than the funding of the tribunal,” Tourism Minister Fadi Abboud, who is loyal to FPM chief Michel Aoun, said on Thursday.