Hezbollah moves to control Lebanon new government

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Hezbollah secured the support from a majority of parliament Monday to nominate its candidate for prime minister, putting the Iranian-backed militant group in position to control Lebanon’s new government.

Billionaire businessman Najib Mikati, a moderate politician and former premier, was set to clinch the nomination after Shiite Hezbollah and its allies lined up the needed backing of at least 65 of the 128 parliament members as voting on the candidate began Monday.

Hezbollah brought down the unity government with the Western-backed coalition earlier this month after Sunni Prime Minister Saad Hariri refused the group’s demand to cease cooperation with a U.N.-backed tribunal investigating the 2005 assassination of his father, former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

The tribunal is widely expected to indict Hezbollah members in the assassination, something that has raised fears of renewed violence in this tiny, volatile Mideast country on Israel’s northern border.

Hezbollah’s opponents say a government led by the militant group would be disastrous for Lebanon and lead to international isolation. The United States, which considers Hezbollah a terrorist organization, has tried to move Lebanon firmly into a Western sphere.

A Hezbollah-led government would also raise tensions with Israel, which fought a 34-day war against Hezbollah in 2006 that left 1,200 Lebanese and 160 Israelis dead.

Several hundred Hariri supporters in the northern city of Tripoli, a predominantly Sunni area and a hotbed of fundamentalists, staged protests Monday chanting slogans against Mikati, a lawmaker from Tripoli.

The protesters waved pictures of Hariri and shouted: “Mikati you are not one of us, leave Tripoli and go away.” Some banners read: “The blood of Sunnis is boiling.”

The protesters briefly closed a main road in the town of Minyeh in Tripoli.

Mikati appealed for calm and, in a statement, called on Hariri supporters not to upset stability.

Hezbollah and its allies had the support of at least 57 seats and gained seven more from the bloc of Walid Jumblatt, the influential leader of the Druse sect. With Mikati’s vote, Hezbollah reached 65. The voting in parliament on a new candidate for prime minister was to continue on Tuesday.

Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah said Sunday if their candidate gets the post of prime minister, the group will try to form another national unity government with Hariri’s Western-backed bloc.

But Hariri said Monday he will not join a government headed by a Hezbollah-backed candidate.

On Sunday, Hezbollah’s bloc chose Mikati, who served briefly as premier in 2005. He presented himself as a candidate reaching out to all sides.

“I don’t distinguish between anyone. I extend my hand to everyone without exception. … I say to Prime Minister Saad Hariri, let us all work together for the sake of Lebanon,” he told reporters.

But Mikati dodged a question if he would end Lebanon’s cooperation with the international court — a key Hezbollah demand — saying only that “any dispute can be solved only through dialogue.”

A statement issued by Hariri’s office said there is no “consensual candidate” and made clear Hariri remained the Western-backed camp’s choice for prime minister.

Lawmaker Oqab Sakr said Mikati’s candidacy was “a clear challenge to the will of the parliamentary and popular majority.”

A Harvard graduate, Mikati is seen as a relatively neutral figure who enjoys good relations with Syrian President Bashar Assad and with the pro-Western Hariri, who himself is seeking to keep the post.

Mikati, whose wealth is estimated at $2.5 billion is on the Forbes list of world billionaires. In the 1980s, during Lebanon’s civil war, he founded telecom company Investcom with his elder brother, Taha. They sold the company to South Africa’s MTN Group for $5.5 billion in 2006.

The Mikati brothers now run M1 Group, a multibillion dollar holding company with interests in telecom, oil and gas and real estate among other things.

Last year, M1 bought a 13.95 percent stake in Bank Audi, Lebanon largest bank, for $450 million.AP

Photo: Marada Movement leader Suleiman Franjieh (R)  a staunch Syrian supporter, with Hezbollah nominee fr premiership former PM Najib Mikati (C)  and MP Walid Jumblatt

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39 responses to “Hezbollah moves to control Lebanon new government”

  1. How fair is this? HA has the ability to bring down the governement, and bring it back up but instead with their majority! What is this… This needs to be stopped. The U.S are the biggest bullsh!ters on this planet, they claim HA to be a terrorist organisation yet theyre doing nothing to stop them. The international community is just going to watch as these monkeys take over the country, wake up guys CIVIL WAR is on its brink.

  2.  Avatar

    How fair is this? HA has the ability to bring down the governement, and bring it back up but instead with their majority! What is this… This needs to be stopped. The U.S are the biggest bullsh!ters on this planet, they claim HA to be a terrorist organisation yet theyre doing nothing to stop them. The international community is just going to watch as these monkeys take over the country, wake up guys CIVIL WAR is on its brink.

  3. Hannibal Avatar

    Look at the picture: Mikati’s hand in the pocket reaching for his check book to start writing the checks to Franjieh and Jumblatt… LOL

  4. Look at the picture: Mikati’s hand in the pocket reaching for his check book to start writing the checks to Franjieh and Jumblatt… LOL

  5. In a “one man one vote” HA and it’s allies won the most public votes, In a normal democracy like in Europe this happens all the time (see Ireland today)

    1. Hannibal Avatar

      You are absolutely right but under the current confessional system HA lost. The loser in all democratic systems byondaeb except in Lebanon where losers win with their weapons. HA is a shiite moslem organization and that in Europe nobody would allow to reign as it excludes in their party all other sects. You cannot have it all. Either a moslem totalitarian country like Iran and Saudi Arabia or a free country where we all vote one man one vote without the sectarian monopoly that reigns in the Arab world or Israel. From Experience and if history teach us anything and also from recent events no minority in the middle east can flourish nor can it get its rights under Islamic laws or Jewish laws. You need freedom shed the religion.

      1. why do all lebanese girls thibk they are kim kardashian?

        1. Hannibal Avatar

          Because they follow your steps of personating someone they are not.

        2. lol, nice answer answer. so it is true what i said?

        3. lol, nice answer answer. so it is true what i said?

        4. yes they all think they are kim kardashian, lol, i dont know why tho!!

        5. yes they all think they are kim kardashian, lol, i dont know why tho!!

  6. In a “one man one vote” HA and it’s allies won the most public votes, In a normal democracy like in Europe this happens all the time (see Ireland today)

    1. You are absolutely right but under the current confessional system HA lost. The loser in all democratic systems byondaeb except in Lebanon where losers win with their weapons. HA is a shiite moslem organization and that in Europe nobody would allow to reign as it excludes in their party all other sects. You cannot have it all. Either a moslem totalitarian country like Iran and Saudi Arabia or a free country where we all vote one man one vote without the sectarian monopoly that reigns in the Arab world or Israel. From Experience and if history teach us anything and also from recent events no minority in the middle east can flourish nor can it get its rights under Islamic laws or Jewish laws. You need freedom shed the religion.

      1. why do all lebanese girls thibk they are kim kardashian?

        1. Because they follow your steps of personating someone they are not.

        2. Because they follow your steps of personating someone they are not.

        3. lol, nice answer answer. so it is true what i said?

        4. lol, nice answer answer. so it is true what i said?

        5. yes they all think they are kim kardashian, lol, i dont know why tho!!

    2. You are absolutely right but under the current confessional system HA lost. The loser in all democratic systems byondaeb except in Lebanon where losers win with their weapons. HA is a shiite moslem organization and that in Europe nobody would allow to reign as it excludes in their party all other sects. You cannot have it all. Either a moslem totalitarian country like Iran and Saudi Arabia or a free country where we all vote one man one vote without the sectarian monopoly that reigns in the Arab world or Israel. From Experience and if history teach us anything and also from recent events no minority in the middle east can flourish nor can it get its rights under Islamic laws or Jewish laws. You need freedom shed the religion.

  7. Sebouh80 Avatar

    Najib Mikati belongs to the upper Lebanese bourgeois class. Saad Hariri, Najib Mikati, and Mohammad Safadi have all one thing in common besides being sunni that is three of them are billionaire capitalists.
    My question in this respect goes to all the Lebanese people why are we always condemned to be ruled by people with deep pockets or come from the traditional political feudal families.
    Enough is Enough.

  8.  Avatar

    Najib Mikati belongs to the upper Lebanese bourgeois class. Saad Hariri, Najib Mikati, and Mohammad Safadi have all one thing in common besides being sunni that is three of them are billionaire capitalists.
    My question in this respect goes to all the Lebanese people why are we always condemned to be ruled by people with deep pockets or come from the traditional political feudal families.
    Enough is Enough.

  9. josephphdman Avatar
    josephphdman

    junblat if you made your decision under threat and intimidation that is not democracy and your decision is not valid and null
    therefore ha are cheating the lebaneese public

  10.  Avatar

    junblat if you made your decision under threat and intimidation that is not democracy and your decision is not valid and null
    therefore ha are cheating the lebaneese public

  11. josephphdman Avatar
    josephphdman

    junblat med his decision under intimidations and threats to his hilfe this was agaisnt the rule of democracy and against the the law of the state therefore the state of lebanon should charge hezbollah with conspiracy and crimes against a congress man and conspiracy to decieve and cheat the lebaneese people and that choice that junblat made be null and void

  12.  Avatar

    junblat med his decision under intimidations and threats to his hilfe this was agaisnt the rule of democracy and against the the law of the state therefore the state of lebanon should charge hezbollah with conspiracy and crimes against a congress man and conspiracy to decieve and cheat the lebaneese people and that choice that junblat made be null and void

  13. josephphdman Avatar
    josephphdman

    junblat had made his decision under threats for his life and intimidation that is not how democracy works therefore his decision is null and void and his vote is not accepted and this nomination for makiti should,nt stand
    hezbollah has cheated the lebaneese people by there action and they should be tried by the lebanese court for conspiracy and fraud and threats against a governement official junblat

  14.  Avatar

    junblat had made his decision under threats for his life and intimidation that is not how democracy works therefore his decision is null and void and his vote is not accepted and this nomination for makiti should,nt stand
    hezbollah has cheated the lebaneese people by there action and they should be tried by the lebanese court for conspiracy and fraud and threats against a governement official junblat

  15.  Avatar

    junblat had made his decision under threats for his life and intimidation that is not how democracy works therefore his decision is null and void and his vote is not accepted and this nomination for makiti should,nt stand
    hezbollah has cheated the lebaneese people by there action and they should be tried by the lebanese court for conspiracy and fraud and threats against a governement official junblat

  16.  Avatar

    junblat had made his decision under threats for his life and intimidation that is not how democracy works therefore his decision is null and void and his vote is not accepted and this nomination for makiti should,nt stand
    hezbollah has cheated the lebaneese people by there action and they should be tried by the lebanese court for conspiracy and fraud and threats against a governement official junblat

  17. Fauzia45 Avatar

    To possess arms,to threaten and put pressure so that others change side to impose a group s political interests is not what is called a democratic process!A democratic process is when the votes of the people are not respected and are not taken by threats a d force to where they do not wish!!!Democracy settles differences by free open discussions and dialogue and not by use of force and threats!No government will prevail and no state will continue to exist if one group believes it can take control and take it where it suits their political interests and ideology and the interests of those behind them!!

  18. Fauzia45 Avatar

    To possess arms,to threaten and put pressure so that others change side to impose a group s political interests is not what is called a democratic process!A democratic process is when the votes of the people are not respected and are not taken by threats a d force to where they do not wish!!!Democracy settles differences by free open discussions and dialogue and not by use of force and threats!No government will prevail and no state will continue to exist if one group believes it can take control and take it where it suits their political interests and ideology and the interests of those behind them!!

  19.  Avatar

    To possess arms,to threaten and put pressure so that others change side to impose a group s political interests is not what is called a democratic process!A democratic process is when the votes of the people are not respected and are not taken by threats a d force to where they do not wish!!!Democracy settles differences by free open discussions and dialogue and not by use of force and threats!No government will prevail and no state will continue to exist if one group believes it can take control and take it where it suits their political interests and ideology and the interests of those behind them!!

  20. Fauzia45 Avatar

    Correction I meant to say when the votes of the people are respected!!!!!!

  21. Fauzia45 Avatar

    Correction I meant to say when the votes of the people are respected!!!!!!

  22.  Avatar

    Correction I meant to say when the votes of the people are respected!!!!!!

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