Hezbollah: West Ready to Deal with Any Parliamentary Majority

Hezbollah: West Ready to Deal with Any Parliamentary Majority
Hussein Assi Readers Number : 98

05/04/2009 Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem denied on Sunday all rumors about a potential Western boycott of the Lebanese post-election government in case the national opposition emerged victorious out of the forthcoming parliamentary elections.

Speaking during a religious ceremony in Beirut's southern suburb, Sheikh Qassem announced that the West would deal with any parliamentary majority regardless of its political affiliations. "Therefore, the world would deal with the Lebanese government formed by the national opposition after its expected triumph in the elections next June," Sheikh Qassem said, revealing that many foreign ambassadors have already informed opposition figures of this trend.

Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General, meanwhile, said that many sides in the so-called March 14 figures would change their positions following the parliamentary elections, confirming that political re-positioning within the mentioned bloc is almost decided.

Sheikh Qassem expressed optimism that the national opposition would win the forthcoming polls, stressing that Lebanese wouldn't give their votes for a majority that proved its failure in managing their affairs at all levels. "Lebanese would prefer backing the national opposition," his eminence said, expecting that people will give the opposition the chance to make the change "practically, and not only through slogans."

RAAD: ELECTIONS ARE OPPORTUNITY FOR HEZBOLLAH TO REACH POSITION IN DECISION-MAKING

For his part, the head of the Loyalty to the Resistance parliamentary bloc MP Mohamad Raad said the upcoming parliamentary elections were an opportunity for Hezbollah to reach a position on political decision-making.

During a political meeting organized by Hezbollah in the southern village of Ibba, Raad said current attempts intended to prevent the opposition of obtaining a majority in parliament were being carried out using all means, including sectarian incitement, the spending of political money, the formation of coalitions to confront the opposition’s electoral lists and marketing many names just to say they were opposed.

Raad said the opposition was optimist about a victory in the coming elections and denied all reports about misunderstandings between the opposition’s factions.

FNEISH: ELECTIONS A STEP TOWARDS RECREATING AUTHORITY

Labor Minister Mohamad Fneish, in turn, called the elections a step toward "recreating authority by relying on the will of the people and… reconsidering political life through a new parliament and a new government."

Fneish confirmed the national opposition "is approaching the elections with a commitment to the Taef accord, reform" and to forming an administration set apart from the traditional system of patronage in Lebanon.

The Hezbollah minister rejected views that there is any benefit to abandoning the resistance and called for the US to stop interfering in Lebanese politics. "What is the benefit for Lebanon if the Lebanese abandon their defense or their fight against… the Zionist project?" Fneish asked. He pointed out that "there are various transformations… happening today" with regard to international politics in the region and called for the US to disengage from internal Lebanese politics.