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Hezbollah No. 2 wants Lebanon unity government
By Sam F. Ghattas
BEIRUT (AP) — Hezbollah's No. 2 leader, confident of victory in Lebanese weekend elections, said Tuesday the Iranian-backed group would invite its pro-Western opponents to join a
national unity government if it wins.
Sheik Naim Kassem rejected accusations that a government of Hezbollah and its allies would try to implement an Iranian-style Islamic state. In an interview with The Associated Press,
he shrugged off warnings about boycotts and insisted Western nations are willing to talk to the new government irrespective of who wins.
But the unity government proposal shows Shiite Hezbollah's concern that if it tries
to govern Lebanon outright, it could risk international isolation and possibly another war with Israel , much like the Iranian-backed Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza .
Vice President Joe Biden, on a visit to
Lebanon last month, warned Washington would reassess aid to Lebanon depending on the next government's makeup and policies. The U.S. , which considers Hezbollah a terrorist organization, has provided about $1 billion in aid
since 2006.
"After June 7, there will be a new scene," said Kassem, who leads Hezbollah's election campaign. He said Hezbollah and its allies "will work to form a national unity government. How much we
will succeed is up to the other side."
He spoke Tuesday at a secret location in the Hezbollah stronghold of south Beirut . Out of security concerns, AP reporters were driven in a minivan with black-draped windows to
an apartment building basement. There, they were transferred to another minivan with black-draped windows to block the view and driven to another building, where Kassem later showed up for the interview.
The vote for
parliament pits Western-backed factions that have dominated the government for the last four years against a coalition led by Hezbollah and its ally, Christian leader Michel Aoun.
Hezbollah has had veto power over
government decisions for the past year as part of a national unity government formed after its gunmen overran Beirut Muslim neighborhoods in May 2008, bringing Lebanon to the verge of another civil war.
So far, the
election has been considered too close to call and the pro-Western coalition has also predicted victory. But if Kassem's predictions materialize, it would be the first time Hezbollah is positioned to play a major role in the
formation of Lebanon 's government.
Kassem predicted his alliance would pick up between three and six seats over the 64-seat margin to have an absolute majority in the 128-member legislature.
The country's
sectarian-based division of power and complex alliances across sectarian divides make it hard for any single party to govern alone and without consensus. Under the system, Christians and Muslim equally share the Cabinet and the
legislatureLebanon's legislature has been sharply polarized between the two camps since 2005, paralyzing state operations. The majority currently has 70 seats and the minority, including Hezbollah, has 58.
Political
turmoil and instability have buffeted the country since the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Hariri's supporters blamed the bombing on Syria . Damascus denied the accusations, but mass protests in
Lebanon and U.S.-led international pressure forced Syria 's army out of Lebanon , ending 29 years of dominance.
In addition, Hezbollah fought a devastating war with Israel in 2006.
Lebanon is still trying to chart
its own direction after the Syrian pullout. The election of Hezbollah and its pro-Syrian allies would mark a resurgence of Syrian influence.
That has raised U.S. concerns, particularly because Washington considers the
heavily armed Hezbollah with a long history of anti-Israeli activities a terrorist organization. The U.S. has been at odds with Damascus over Lebanon , Iraq and the Palestinians.
Kassem predicted some factions from the
pro-Western coalition would opt to join the new government. But one major faction has already said it won't.
He accused the U.S. of last-minute attempts to influence the vote, but said they would not work. President
Barack Obama is addressing Muslims in a speech from Cairo Thursday, days before the Lebanese election, in his latest overture to improve relations with the Islamic world.
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