LBC TV said Tuesday Justice Minister Charles Rizk proposed the bill early because he feared disputes between the pro- and anti-government camps in Lebanon could delay efforts to establish a tribunal to prosecute suspects in the murder.

The bill must now be forwarded to the Security Council for endorsement.

The U.N. panel, headed by Belgian judge Serge Brammertz, is investigating the death of Hariri and 22 others in a massive bomb blast in February 2005 on the Beirut seafront. Its current mandate expires in June.

In two reports to the Security Council, the U.N commission implicated Syrian and pro-Damascus Lebanese intelligence officers in Hariri's death. Syria has denied any role in the assassination and other recent attacks.

Outrage over Hariri's assassination forced Syria to withdraw its troops from Lebanon two months after his death, ending a 29-year presence.

An international tribunal is supposed to be set up to judge suspects eventually charged in the killing but needs the approval of Lebanon, which has been blocked by the country's political crisis.

An agreement between the Lebanese government and the U.N. on setting up the court was signed early in February but must be ratified by parliament.

Speaker Nabih Berri, a key opposition figure, has refused to convene parliament until the political crisis is resolved.

Sources: Naharnet, LBC, Ya Libnan