Hezbollah leader reveals unity government plans

Beirut: Hezbollah's No 2 leader, confident of victory in Lebanese weekend elections, said the Iranian-backed group would invite its pro-Western opponents to join a national unity government if it wins.

Shaikh Naim Qasim rejected accusations that a government of Hezbollah and its allies would try to implement an Iranian-style Islamic state.

In an interview held on Tuesday with The Associated Press, he shrugged off warnings about boycotts and insisted Western nations were willing to talk to the new government irrespective of who wins.

However, the unity government proposal shows Hezbollah's concern that if it tries to govern Lebanon outright, it could risk international isolation and possibly another war with Israel, much like the Iranian-backed Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza.

Vice President Joe Biden, on a visit to Lebanon last month, warned Washington would reassess aid to Lebanon depending on the next government's makeup and policies. The United States has provided about $1 billion (Dh3.67 billion) in aid since 2006.

"After June 7, there will be a new scene," said Qasim, who leads Hezbollah's election campaign. He said Hezbollah and its allies "will work to form a national unity government. How much we will succeed is up to the other side."

He spoke at a secret location in the Hezbollah stronghold of south Beirut. Out of security concerns, AP reporters were driven in a minivan with black-draped windows to an apartment building basement.

There, they were transferred to another minivan with black-draped windows to block the view and driven to another building, where Qasim later showed up for the interview.

The vote for parliament pits Western-backed factions that have dominated the government for the last four years against a coalition led by Hezbollah and its ally, Christian leader Michel Aoun.

Hezbollah has had veto power over government decisions for the past year as part of a national unity government formed after its gunmen overran Beirut Muslim neighbourhoods, bringing Lebanon to the verge of another civil war.

So far, the election has been considered too close to call and the pro-Western coalition has also predicted victory.

But if Qasim's predictions materialise, it would be the first time Hezbollah is positioned to play a major role in the formation of Lebanon's government.

Qasim predicted his alliance would pick up between three and six seats over the 64-seat margin to have an absolute majority in the 128-member legislature.

The country's sectarian-based division of power and complex alliances across sectarian divides make it hard for any single party to govern alone and without consensus.