Lebanon”s Hezbollah Sure Of Poll Win, Wants National Unity Government
Lebanon”s Shiite militant group Hezbollah said Thursday it was sure of victory in next year”s legislative elections but would still seek to form a national unity government with anti-Syrian rivals.
"We want to make it clear from now that we will want to establish a national unity government" with the Sunni-led coalition that is backed by the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, Nawaf al Mussawi, a top Hezbollah official, told AFP.
"No one can lead Lebanon on his own and without consensus," he said.
Mussawi added that Hezbollah, considered a terrorist organization by the U.S., felt confident of reversing the slim majority which its rivals hold in parliament.
The international community has made it clear that it would closely watch the parliamentary elections next year that could see Hezbollah and its allies grab the majority.
Such a scenario would deal a blow to the Western-backed ruling parties in parliament which rode to power in 2005 on a wave of anti-Syrian sentiment following the assassination of ex-premier Rafiq Hariri.
Syria has denied any role in the killing.
Hezbollah, which is backed by Syria and Iran, has veto power over big decisions in the national unity government formed in July following a political crisis that brought Lebanon to the brink of civil war.
The crisis was defused following a Qatari-brokered deal in May that led to army commander Michel Suleiman being elected president, the formation of a national unity government and a new electoral law being drawn up.