Nasrallah Says No One Obstructing Govt. Formation, Hails 'Excellent' Relation with Aoun

Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah stressed Friday that “no political party in Lebanon” is trying to block the formation of the new government, while emphasizing that his party's relation with President Michel Aoun is “excellent.”

“Hizbullah does not have media, political or parliamentary sources or sources close to the party that speak to the press. Anything attributed to Hizbullah sources is unreliable... We also do not depend on so-called March 8 sources,” Nasrallah said in a televised address, referring to recent media reports about alleged tensions between Hizbullah and Aoun.

“We in Hizbullah do not endorse the approach of sending messages through sources, journalists, articles or embassies. We talk directly to our friends and allies. We do not use this approach and this is to respond to what has been attributed to Hizbullah about alleged messages to the new presidential tenure,” Nasrallah added.

And underlining that Hizbullah's relation with Aoun and the Free Patriotic Movement is “excellent and built on mutual respect and deep trust,” Nasrallah noted that his party is “not worried” by the rising FPM-Lebanese Forces alliance.

“We communicate on near-daily basis with President Aoun, FPM chief Jebran Bassil and the FPM's leadership... We might have different viewpoints over some issues but this is positive in discussions,” Hizbullah's supremo added.

He emphasized that “it is not true that Hizbullah has asked the FPM to renounce its alliance with the LF or to choose between allying with Hizbullah or allying with the LF.”

“Some are trying to give the impression that Hizbullah is preoccupied with the issue of the LF's relation with the FPM. This is not to underestimate the LF, which is an essential force in Lebanon, but everyone knows that we are busy somewhere else... We are busy in a place that will shape the region's future,” Nasrallah added, referring to Hizbullah's military role in Syria.

“We do not have a negative evaluation of the Christian alliance and this alliance can resolve a lot of domestic problems in Lebanon,” he said.

Moreover, Nasrallah denied that Hizbullah is “dismayed” by the president's foreign relations or the latest visit to Lebanon by a senior Saudi delegation.

“We were not dismayed. It is not true that we would be dismayed if the president chooses Saudi Arabia for his first visit, seeing as the president has the right to travel to any country and we do not have the right to put a veto on the president's trip to Saudi Arabia, the same as no one has the right to veto his travel to Iran or Syria,” he added.

Turning to the issue of the formation of the new government, Nasrallah stressed to the Lebanese that “no political party in Lebanon is trying to block the formation of the new government,” be it an ally or a rival.

“Claims that Speaker (Nabih) Berri, Hizbullah or (Marada Movement chief) MP Suleiman Franjieh are obstructing the formation of the cabinet are baseless, false and unjust,” Hizbullah's chief said.

As for the parties' shares in Cabinet and whether the Hizbullah-led March 8 forces are trying to clinch at least a third of the seats in order to have a veto power, Nasrallah stressed that Aoun is "more than a 'guaranteeing third' in any Cabinet.”

“Most of the portfolios have been allocated and the problem today is revolving around one or two portfolios,” he said.

“This is a transitional government and its mission is to organize the elections,” Nasrallah noted.

“No one should try to stir discord between Hizbullah, AMAL Movement and the FPM,” he added.

Nasrallah also hoped that the relation between its allies the FPM and Marada Movement will be restored soon.

As for the issue of the electoral law, Nasrallah said he backs recent calls for “separating the issue of the electoral law from the cabinet formation process.”

He also reiterated his party's stance that “the only law that can lead to building a State is one fully based on proportional representation and on turning Lebanon into a single electorate or several large electorates.”