A pro-Western bloc inflicted a surprise defeat on Hezbollah and its allies at the ballot box in Lebanon, the rival camps said yesterday, but the winner now faces a battle to keep the nation together.
The anti-Syrian coalition headed by Saad Hariri, son of slain former prime minister Rafiq Hariri, expects to widen its majority in the 128-seat parliament to 71 seats, against 57 for Hezbollah and its Shiite and Christian allies.
“This is a big day in the history of democratic Lebanon,” a triumphant Hariri told cheering supporters at a rally after Sunday’s vote as fireworks exploded into the sky over Beirut and the champagne corks popped.
PHOTO: REUTERS
But analysts and newspapers are questioning whether the rival factions will be able to form a unity government and ensure Lebanon is not plunged into a renewed cycle of political instability and sectarian violence.
Despite its defeat, the Iranian-backed Hezbollah — the “Party of God” blacklisted by the US as a terrorist organization — remains a potent political force and the nation’s strongest military group.
And it delivered a blunt warning that its mighty arsenal, which it says is vital for “resistance” to Israel, was not up for discussion.
“Lebanon has entered a new phase today,” said Paul Salem, head of the Beirut-based Middle East Carnegie Center. “The question is, once the government is formed what kind of challenge will it face?”
Police and soldiers had moved out in force in sensitive areas after Sunday’s election for fear of fighting between rivals, but no major incidents were reported after political leaders appealed for calm.
The outcome is being closely watched by Lebanon’s neighbors and the international community, with the country already scarred by years of war, sectarian strife and damaging political crises.
Israel, which fought a devastating war with Hezbollah guerrillas in 2006, said the new government must act to prevent attacks from its soil.
“It is incumbent upon any government that is formed in Beirut to ensure that Lebanon will not be used as a base for violence against the state of Israel and against Israelis,” the foreign ministry said.
In Lebanon, the press was united in giving victory to Hariri’s Sunni-led coalition, which has the backing of the West and regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia.
“They were broken ... Lebanon wins,” thundered a headline in the Saudi-funded Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, referring to Hezbollah — whose emergence as a possible victor had caused jitters in the West.
Members of the Hezbollah alliance also conceded defeat, with one politician saying it appeared voters had been spooked by fears that the Shiite Muslim group could impose an Islamist state in Lebanon.
However, Hezbollah yesterday warned the Western-backed coalition that its weapons arsenal was not a subject open to discussion.
“The majority must commit not to question our role as a resistance party, the legitimacy of our weapons arsenal and the fact that Israel is an enemy state,” Hezbollah official Mohamed Raad told reporters.
He said the outcome of Sunday’s vote signaled further political turbulence.
“The results indicate that the crisis will continue, unless the majority changes its attitude,” said Raad, an MP who kept his seat in the new parliament.
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