But Fadi Aramouni, who heads the state-run Central Fund for the Displaced said: ?he government did not promise to rebuild [the suburbs] but pledged to give compensation.?br />
He said the government has so far disbursed US$100 million in compensation and is expected to give an equal amount.
Aramouni dismissed Jechi? criticism, adding the claim that Hezbollah had embarked on a major reconstruction drive that needs more funds than those pledged by the government.
?ezbollah has adopted a costly plan while the government is providing funds to restore buildings to what they were before the war,?he said.
Analysts say the reconstruction drive has triggered new rivalries between Hezbollah and the authorities and is bolstering the popularity of the Shiite militant group.
?ezbollah will certainly benefit from this reconstruction project because it is cementing the loyalty of the people,?said Ahmad Baalbaki, a professor of sociology.
In contrast, for decades the government neglected the development of the southern suburbs, and Hezbollah stepped in to fill the void.
?efore Hezbollah, in the 1980s, even in the 1970s, the southern suburbs was like a jungle. Where was, then, the authority of the state,?he asked.
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