BEIRUT: Lebanon’s top three leaders recognize that they must continue funding the Special Tribunal for Lebanon to avoid facing sanctions that would hurt the country’s banking sector, An-Nahar reported Friday.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, President Michel Sleiman, and Prime Minister Najib Mikati have all been warned by international figures of the risks of halting the country’s 49 percent share of the funding for the tribunal investigating the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

“Officials privately recognize the need to fund the tribunal after they were clearly told by certain international elements that Lebanon would face sanctions that might hurt its banking sector if any delay in funding occurs,” the paper said.

This understanding cuts across the political spectrum, with even Hezbollah, which has publicly strongly rejected the tribunal which indicted four of its members in June this year, aware of the danger posed to Lebanon if the government decided to halt the funding, the newspaper reported.

Lebanon’s banking sector is vital to its economy, as one of the strongest in the region and the most successful industry in the country.

Although the international community has urged Lebanon to preserve its commitment to U.N. Resolution 1757, which established the tribunal and lays out the requirement that Lebanon pay the 49 percent share, it has never publicly warned of any possible sanctions.

Earlier this month the prime minister said that funding the tribunal was in the interests of the country, and that the government would continue to pay the country’s share of the tribunal’s budget so long as it was.

Sources told An-Nahar that funding for the tribunal would come from a loan from the treasury, transferred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Official spokesman Martin Youssef told An-Nahar in comments published Friday that the country still owes 70 percent of its share of the tribunal’s funding for 2011.

“We are confident of Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s promises. It is true that there are other countries participating in the funding, but that doesn’t mean that we are not waiting for Lebanon’s share,” Youssef said.

Meanwhile, March 14 sources told local newspaper Al-Joumhouria in comments published Friday that the funding did not a require a government decree and that it was therefore not in a hurry to pass a proposal in Parliament to protect the funds.

“The international tribunal, Lebanon’s commitment and what comes with it from financial commitments were issued by an international law in the Security Council under Chapter 7. Therefore, the commitment overrides any domestic law,” sources told Al Joumhouria.