Hezbollah, allies have to be represented in next Cabinet: MP

Fuente: 
The Daily News Star
Fecha de publicación: 
27 Jul 2013

BEIRUT: Hezbollah MP Mohammad Raad said Saturday the resistance group and its allies should be fully represented in the next Cabinet or the government will never form.

“We have agreed with our allies that either we all participate in the government or we are all out,” Raad, head of the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc, said during an Iftar hosted by Hezbollah in the south.

Raad said that his party would not accept any other government make-up “in order to guarantee that no [political party] conspires against [Hezbollah].”

Hezbollah’s Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah said earlier this week that there will be no government without Hezbollah, while Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam insists on a government with neutral ministers.

“We are keen on speaking in transparent language and we want a national, political and unifying government with no ambiguity in its makeup and we want to participate in this government alongside all the components of the Lebanese society,” Raad said.

Raad’s comments also flew against Speaker Nabih Berri’s announcement earlier this month when he said the Free Patriotic Movement had left the three-way coalition between it, Berri’s Amal Movement and Hezbollah, bringing an end to March 8 group.

Hezbollah has demanded equal representation for all parties based on their parliamentary weight while the March 14 coalition who has asked for a neutral Cabinet and refuses to join a government with Hezbollah unless the party withdraws its fighters from Syria.

Salam has made little to no progress in the Cabinet formation process for three months and he says it’s unlikely a government will be formed soon.

Raad, also described the EU’s decision to designate Hezbollah’s “military wing” as a terrorist organization as a “terrorist practice” itself.

"What else does it mean to place the resistance which has made achievements for the free and honest people and was a civilized example [of a resistance] to be put on a terror list?"

“They will not achieve anything with such a practice and they will have to, sooner or later, retract that decision and they will stand in line to re-develop ties with Hezbollah,” he said. 

source: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2013/Jul-27/225288-hezbollah-allies-have-to-be-represented-in-next-cabinet-mp.ashx#axzz2aGoOQAKl