Thousands of phone calls, text messages and tweets poured on Premier Najib Miqati upon his announcement that he had transferred funds to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, a move which he hoped would receive the support of the Lebanese political leaderships.

“Some of the analyses that appeared today about my move are untrue and not accurate,” Miqati told his visitors on Thursday, reiterating that his approval of the transfer of funds was a “national decision stemming from his patriotic and personal convictions.”

Speaker Nabih Berri voiced on Wednesday his satisfaction with the funding of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, saying that it falls in the country’s interests.

His visitors reported him as saying: “The government should now focus on tackling various pressing issues.”

President Michel Suleiman said on Wednesday that the collapse of the cabinet will have negative repercussions on Lebanon as Speaker Nabih Berri expected that the majority will reach a safe haven concerning the crisis.

Sources close to Suleiman told As Safir newspaper that the president agreed with officials he met on Tuesday that “no one has an interest in forcing the collapse of the current cabinet.”

Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas did not confirm Wednesday whether Change and Reform bloc ministers would attend a cabinet session set to discuss the funding of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

“There is a possibility that the bloc’s ministers would attend the cabinet sessions,” Nahhas told Voice of Lebanon radio station (93.3).

Sources close to Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat said the Druze chief’s stance from the government crisis is linked to the decision that Premier Najib Miqati would take if the March 8 ministers reject to fund the international tribunal.

Sources close to Jumblat told As Safir daily on Tuesday that the PSP chief rejects the collapse of the government. “The country cannot bear” crises anymore, they said.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati during a visit to the Vatican on Monday invited Pope Benedict XVI to visit Lebanon next year, an aide from the prime minister's office said.

Miqati’s office in Beirut said in a statement that the visit would take place in the autumn but Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said only that the pope had received the invitation and has "shown an interest" in visiting.

President of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon Judge Sir David Baragwanath stressed on Monday that the main purpose of the tribunal is to bring the killers of Lebanese citizens to justice.

He said in a statement in light of his recent visit to Lebanon: “Last week's visit to Beirut has given me great confidence that our mandate of challenging impunity will be fulfilled.”

President Michel Suleiman proposed that Hizbullah not attend Wednesday’s scheduled session so that the cabinet approves the funding of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, al-Liwaa newspaper reported.

The daily said on Monday that Suleiman is exerting efforts to resolve the crisis that is threatening to collapse the cabinet.

Ministers loyal to Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun stressed on Saturday that their participation in the cabinet hinges on a set of conditions that the government should meet.

Following a meeting of the Change and Reform bloc ministers in Rabieh, Energy Minister Jebran Bassil said: “Our participation or boycott of cabinet sessions stands on several issues.”

Speaker Nabih Berri stressed on Saturday that a solution to the Lebanese cabinet crisis does not come through the resignation of the government but through understanding and dialogue.

At the opening of a conference organized by his Amal movement at UNESCO Palace in Beirut, Berri said: “The solution is not through the resignation of the government but through finding a solution.”