http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2009/953/re9.htm
25 June - 1 July 2009
Issue No. 953
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875
The calm after the storms
In Beirut Omayma Abdel-Latif meets Hizbullah's second most powerful official to
gauge his reactions to recent developments both in Lebanon and Iran
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Sheikh Naim Qasim
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Hizbullah's arms will not be an issue discussed in public debates in the
post-election era, Sheikh Naim Qasim, Hizbullah's deputy secretary-general,
told Al-Ahram Weekly. In an interview at his office in Beirut's southern suburb
on Monday, Qasim was confident that the issue which has been the main theme in
the recent electoral campaign will be addressed only within the framework of
national dialogue.
He denied that Hizbullah got any guarantees from the majority regarding the
issue of weapons. Following the elections held on 7 June in which the majority
claimed 71 seats while the Hizbullah-led opposition got 57 seats in the
128-seat parliament, parliament majority leader and premier-hopeful Saad
Al-Hariri said he was willing to provide Hizbullah with "all the guarantees
needed". Qasim countered, denying that Hizbullah has any particular demands
regarding the issue of the weapons except to address it within the national
dialogue and as part of the defence strategy for Lebanon. "We are not worried
about the weapons and we do not have any specific demands or assurance because
the only guarantee for us is the political choices that are going to be made in
the coming period by the new prime minister," Qasim said.
He added that Hizbullah would accept the results of the discussions on the
issue within the national dialogue framework. He said that the meeting which
took place between Druze leader Walid Jumblatt and Hizbullah Secretary-General
Hassan Nasrallah last Thursday will help to a great extent in formulating
political conditions in the country for a national bloc that does not confront
the resistance. "It is obvious that the heavy weights in March 14 [i.e.,
Al-Hariri and Jumblatt] do not want to continue with the hostile discourse
against the resistance and rather want to address the contentious issues in a
non-confrontational manner," he said.
Qasim believes that the present political conditions are in favour of
Hizbullah. He was no doubt referring to the disclosure of Israeli spy cells,
the Israeli prime minister's speech and the issue of the naturalisation of the
Palestinians. "The big question facing Lebanon and the Lebanese today is how
you will confront the Israeli threat of spy cells, of airspace violations and
of Netanyahu's refusal of the right of return to the Palestinians." He
disclosed that more spy cells are expected to be disclosed in the coming
period.
Qasim expected that the new government would take sometime before it is formed.
He disclosed that the opposition has not been approached by the majority to
discuss what the best formula for the national unity government was. Asked
whether or not Hizbullah would support the demand of its Christian ally Michel
Aoun to be represented in government according to the number of seats of his
faction, 27, Qasim did not answer directly but said when there is a final say,
the opposition will present its stand on the government formula as a united
front and will take into consideration the legitimate demands of all its
allies.
He refused to comment on the name of the candidate for the premiership.
Al-Hariri has expressed his wish to occupy the Sunni's top post but still in
consultation with Saudi Arabia and Egypt. "What matters to us as the Lebanese
opposition is the plan of action which will be proposed by this candidate and
how he will proceed with the government formulation. The name is not important,
the ministerial statement is what really counts," he said. During the past
week, Nasrallah held meetings with two key allies in the opposition -- Suleiman
Franjiyeh, former minister and a Christian leader, and the leaders of the
Armenian party Al-Tchnaq. Qasim said the opposition already has a common vision
as to what the best formula for the national unity government is, but would
rather wait until the majority presents its suggestions on the issue.
Regionally, commenting on the Iranian elections, Qasim expected that the
protests will die down in the coming days. He said that the past week's events
revealed the true nature of the flagrant foreign intervention in Iranian
internal affairs to create a state of chaos and tension. "The lesson to learn
from Iran shows the West's disrespect for the will of the voters when elections
take place in this part of the world," he said.
On the relations with Egypt, Hizbullah denied that there are any efforts to
mediate regarding the crisis with Egypt when a Hizbullah cell was arrested and
charged with smuggling weapons to the Gaza Strip and violating Egyptian
sovereignty. "We do not have any schemes against Egypt," he said, adding that
silence could be a good prelude to settling the crisis quietly.
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