BEIRUT: Political leaders and the international community expressed relief at Lebanon’s payment of its $32.6 million share of the annual funding for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon Wednesday, which averted the possible collapse of the government.

Political sources told The Daily Star that Prime Minister Najib Mikati asked the Central Bank for the funds from the budget of the Higher Relief Committee, which is under the prime minister’s office. The sources said Mikati reached the deal without any trade-offs with his March 8 allies, including no compromise over the issue of “false witnesses” who allegedly misled investigators into the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

The surprise move came hours before the Cabinet was set to meet to discuss the controversial funding issue funding. The session was postponed.

“This morning, I transferred Lebanon’s share of the [budget for the] tribunal,” Mikati said during a news conference Wednesday afternoon.

“I cannot be a prime minister for a government that does not comply with international resolutions, therefore I transferred Lebanon’s share of the tribunal,” he said. Mikati had threatened to resign if the funding was not secured.

“This is a national decision to preserve Lebanon,” he added.

The Future Movement described the funding of the STL as an acknowledgement by Hezbollah and the Cabinet of the legitimacy and importance of the court. “This measure is an acknowledgement from all members of the government, primarily Hezbollah, of the importance of the tribunal, which we want in order to guarantee stability,” a statement released by the party’s press office said.

The Future Movement also said that Lebanese are aware Hezbollah recognized the U.N.-backed court despite its previous allegations against the probe of being “politicized” by the West.

“Lebanese cannot be deceived and they know very well today that Hezbollah recognized the legitimacy of the court by funding it without allowing the resignation of the government.”

It also called on Hezbollah to fully coordinate with STL and facilitate in the arrest of the four Hezbollah members accused of Hariri’s killing.

“Hezbollah is also responsible in this regard to follow up on the court’s path and hand over the four accused in the killing ... to the Lebanese authorities so that [Lebanon] can fulfill its promise to the international community.”

According to Al-Manar Television, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah will address the STL issue and other matters Thursday.

In a statement released after Mikati’s announcement, U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly “welcomed Prime Minister Mikati’s action to fund Lebanon’s share of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.”

She also “noted that Lebanon’s commitments to the Tribunal extend beyond the issue of funding alone and fulfilling these commitments are important indicators of the government’s commitment to both Lebanon’s interests and its international obligations.”

In an immediate reaction, the court, which is investigating Hariri’s killing, said via its Twitter feed that it was “greatly encouraged by the Lebanese PM’s announcement that [the] 2011 contribution to the STL has been transferred to our account.”

“We look forward to receiving the money. When we do we will confirm that it has arrived,” it added.

The United Kingdom also released a statement welcoming the step. “We welcome Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s announcement this morning that his government will honor its international commitments to pay its share of the United Nations Special Tribunal,” the statement said. “The United Kingdom remains a strong supporter of the Special Tribunal and of a stable, independent and peaceful Lebanon.”

Catherine Ashton, the EU foreign policy chief, similarly praised the move in a statement: “I welcome this positive step, in line with previous commitments by the Lebanese authorities that Lebanon would continue to respect its international obligations. The Special Tribunal plays an important role in the fight against impunity in Lebanon and in the search for justice. I encourage the Lebanese authorities to continue their cooperation with the Tribunal.”

“The prime minister’s decision should enable Lebanon to preserve the stability of its government and advance towards implementing its important reform agenda,” she added.

While the Future Movement-led March 14 coalition hailed the move as a “victory to the principle of funding,” it condemned the way the funds were delivered.

March 14 “deplores the way funding has been smuggled through,” the coalition said, urging the government to hand over the four suspects. It also blasted the way a “national, justice issue has been made equivalent to a natural disaster.”

The Higher Relief Committee is responsibility for paying compensation for the victims of natural disasters and other emergency situations.

For its part, Walid Jumblatt’s Progressive Socialist Party unreservedly hailed Mikati’s measure as a victory for Lebanon. “This is an important achievement for Lebanon and for the [political] forces that make up the government ... in light of this sensitive regional moment,” PSP spokesman Rami Rayyes told The Daily Star.

Speaker Nabih Berri, a key player in efforts to find a way out of the STL funding crisis, said: “What happened is in the interest of the country.”

Both Mikati and President Michel Sleiman telephoned Berri, congratulating him on the agreement.

Speaking Wednesday afternoon, Mikati also urged rival politicians to return to national dialogue under the auspices of Sleiman. The prime minister said the funding decision should not be considered a victory for one political team against the other “but rather a gain for the state and all the Lebanese without exception.”

“The decision stemmed from my desire to protect Lebanon ... as people, army, and resistance, and also from my belief in the right to achieve justice, as [we] should not overlook an assassination of a former prime minister.”

“This is a decision that reflects Lebanon’s commitment to international resolutions and reinforces confidence in Lebanon,” he added.

The Netherlands-based court has indicted four Hezbollah operatives in connection with Hariri’s assassination, all of whom remain at large.