Hariri seeks compromise with Hezbollah opponents

Beirut: Saad Hariri, the pro-Western politician favored to become Lebanon's next prime minister, is setting aside the explosive issue of disarming the Shiite militant group Hezbollah, saying he hopes for unity with his political foes in the sharply divided country.

The comments by Saad Hariri in an interview with The Associated Press reflect the tough choices faced by his US- and Saudi-backed coalition after its electoral victory on Sunday.

The 39-year-old businessman Hariri, struck a conciliatory tone on Friday, telling AP he wants to focus on what unites rather than what divides Lebanon's factions.

"We came out with a majority and there is an extended hand to everyone," he said. "We need to work on unifying all our efforts toward making sure that what we do, all of us, is for the benefit of the people of Lebanon."