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Hezbollah expects to win Lebanon vote
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| EvilTree |
In other ed up news...
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/serv.../International/
Saturday, June 4, 2005 Updated at 4:30 PM EDT
Associated Press
Bint Jbeil, Lebanon — As tension grew at the burial of a slain anti-Syrian journalist on Saturday, the anti-Syrian opposition called for Lebanon's president to step down as the country prepares for the second of four stages of parliamentary elections.
The second of the four-round parliamentary elections will take place in the south of Lebanon on Sunday, and Hezbollah expects to win, which will give the militant group greater political influence to confront international pressure to disarm now that its Syrian backers have withdrawn from the country.
But the death of Samir Kassir, the anti-Syrian journalist killed Thursday by a bomb in his car, reignited hostility toward Damascus and prompted calls for the President Emile Lahoud, Syria's greatest supporter here, to step down.
Hundreds of mourners marched in Beirut at Mr. Kassir's funeral on Saturday amid calls for an international investigation into his death.
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Mr. Kassir, a 45-year-old columnist for An-Nahar newspaper, was laid to rest in St. Mitr Cemetery, a few hundred meters from where he died in the Christian suburb of Ashrafieh.
Lebanese opposition members, who blame Syria and its local allies for Mr. Kassir's killing, asked government officials to stay away from the funeral.
Syria pulled all its troops out of Lebanon in April after three decades, and Lebanon is in the midst of parliamentary election that the anti-Syrian opposition hopes will end Damascus' control of the legislature.
While the race for parliamentary seats in most Lebanese areas is largely between the pro- and anti-Syrian camps, Sunday's election in south Lebanon is geared toward rejecting international pressure to disarm Hezbollah in line with a U.N. Security Council resolution.
Al Manar, Hezbollah's television station, said the elections would serve as a referendum on Hezbollah's political options.
Voters in southern Lebanon are united in their support for Hezbollah — crediting it for forcing Israeli troops to withdraw from the region — and in their rejection of international attempts to disarm the group. Hezbollah, backed by both Syria and Iran, led a guerrilla war against Israel's 18-year occupation of a border zone in south Lebanon that ended in 2000.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, whose Amal movement has forged an election alliance with Hezbollah, urged the groups' supporters to turn out in large numbers "to vote against Resolution 1559."
Last year's UN Resolution 1559 forced Syrian troops to leave Lebanon and also demands militias — a clear reference to Hezbollah — in Lebanon give up their weapons. The United States has also called for the group to abandon its weapons.
Hezbollah has refused to disarm, and Lebanese authorities have rejected U.S. and UN demands to dismantle the group, saying it is a resistance movement, not a militia.
Hezbollah, which is fielding 14 candidates across Lebanon, hopes to build on the nine seats it already holds in the 128-member legislature.
Twenty-three seats are up for grabs in southern Lebanon's two electoral districts. Hezbollah and Amal, long-time rivals for control of the predominantly Shiite Muslim region, joined forces and are expected to win all of them.
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Bless 'democracy' that allows terrorist organizations to run for seats and people who actually vote for them. |
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| Superstar |
I'm not entirely sure about this, but I think Hezbollah has a political faction, and a military faction. Their political side does things like help build schools, hospitals, run politicians for elections, etc.
Their military side is the terrorist part.
I think Hamas, and some other parties are the same way, but I could be wrong. Someone who knows better can comment. |
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| EvilTree |
So what?
Robin Hood may have helped the poor, but he's still a thief. |
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| karim |
If I understood the article correctly (from a quick read) I think they're just going to win the majority of the remaining 28 seats. The opposition party (the one that ousted Syria) will most likely come out on top with the Slain ex-Prime Ministers son leading the charge.
Hezbollah vs. Israel is a battle over this farm land near the border which also happens to have a fresh water spring (a valuable commodity to Israel). Lebanon claims it's their land, however it is drawn within Syrias border. Ironically enough, Syria says it's Lebanons land, but Israel (who occupy the land currently) refuse to return the land to Lebanon for they will not be able to occupy it anymore and therefore lose a valuable resource.
:)
Karim |
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