The Lebanese cabinet has authorized Premier Fouad Seniora to send another letter to the UN asking for the establishment of an international tribunal on ex- Premier Rafik Hariri's killing, An Nahar daily reported Saturday.

It quoted ministerial sources as saying the cabinet late Friday "authorized (Seniora) without declaration" to send a second letter to the UN "if the need arises or when he sees it necessary" to ask the UN to set up the court after attempts to ratify the draft law for the tribunal in parliament have reached a dead end.

Last week, the prime minister sent a letter along with a copy of a petition signed by 70 lawmakers to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon asking him to move on the international tribunal.

An Nahar said that the memorandum will not be sent immediately to the world body to keep the door open for last-ditch attempts by UN legal chief Nicolas Michel to find a compromise over the court although the envoy's mission "officially ended with no solution."

At a news conference held at the Grand Serail on Friday, Michel urged all parties to continue to search for a solution to the crisis and expressed confidence that the tribunal can still be ratified by parliament.

Rafik Hariri and 22 others were killed in a massive bomb blast in February 2005 in Beirut.

The United Nations has signed a deal with the government to set up the tribunal, but it must be ratified by the country's divided parliament.

Source: Xinhua