A ministerial committee agreed Friday on a policy statement draft and referred it to the cabinet for ratification, Lebanon's Information Minister Tareq Mitri said after the body's 14th session.

Mitri, talking to reporters after the meeting, conveyed the draft stressed on "the principle of state unity as the sole authority in regulating the government's decisions, commitments and paths and would apply to all clauses of the policy statement." He said the statement included a clause on the "right of Lebanon, its people, army and resistance to liberate or reclaim its land."

According to Mitri, some ministers tried to add to the phrase "this right is to be practiced under the state wing" but it was not agreed on.  

On his part, Cabinet Minister Nassib Lahoud said he voiced reservation over the clause related to the resistance because it did not include clear reference to the "army's right to resist."

© 2008 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)