Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Najib Miqati’s government of being slow in finalizing the state budget of 2012.

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Najib Miqati’s government of being slow in finalizing the state budget of 2012.

“We have a feeling that the government does not want to finalize the (draft) state budget … We reiterate that the draft state budget contains faults,” Aoun told reporters after the weekly meeting of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc.

Commenting on a statement issued by U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly after visiting him on Monday, Aoun said: “Yes, she told us that in a respectful manner and we replied in the same manner. We are with the tribunal and justice and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon will continue its work even if we halted the funding.”

“The U.N. secretary general would provide the funds,” Aoun noted.

“We are against funding because it is unjustifiable and unconstitutional. I’m not against funding but there’s a constitution that we should respect. Parliament’s approval is mandatory to refer a case to an international court,” he explained.

Aoun added: “We’re not obstructing the judiciary’s work for them to accuse us of confronting the international community.

The international community is rather confronting us. We don’t understand this arbitrary action, and this is what I told Ambassador Connelly.”

Aoun also launched a tirade against Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat.

“Since the formation of the first government comprising Jumblat, they have given us a ‘good example’ about the distribution of compensations to the displaced people and the running of the state’s affairs.”

“We are using a calm rhetoric to preserve national unity, but it’s unacceptable that we be accused of their deeds,” Aoun added.