BEIRUT, 29 July 2005 — Lebanon’s new government defended the right of Hezbollah guerrillas to resist Israel and pledged solid ties with Syria yesterday, policies Parliament has begun to debate ahead of a confidence vote.
The government, the first to be formed since Syria withdrew its troops in April, is expected to win the vote after the debate, which could stretch until today or tomorrow with more than 30 out of 128 deputies scheduled to speak. Prime Minister-elect Fouad Siniora said his Cabinet would respect international law but did not mention UN resolution 1559, which forced Syria to end its 29-year military presence and demands all militias in the country disarm.
Siniora said the government would defend Lebanon’s right to resistance, a term usually used for pro-Syrian Hizbollah, which helped end Israel’s 22-year occupation of the south in 2000.
“The government considers the resistance a natural and honest expression of the Lebanese people’s national rights to liberate their land and defend their honor against Israeli aggression and threats,” he told Parliament.
“The government affirms its respect for international law, good ties to international legitimacy and respect for its resolutions within the framework of sovereignty, solidarity and national unity,” Siniora said.
Hezbollah was the only Lebanese group to keep its arms after the 1975-1990 civil war. Washington brands the Shiite group terrorist and wants it disarmed — a policy reiterated by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during a visit to Beirut last week.
Cabinet Lineup
Hezbollah has a ministerial post for the first time, though the new Cabinet’s overall make-up reflects the result of recent elections that swept an anti-Syrian majority into Parliament for the first time since the end of the civil war.
The lineup includes 15 ministers allied to an anti-Syrian bloc led by the son of slain former Prime Minister Rafik Al-Hariri and five loyal to the pro-Syrian Shiite coalition that includes Hizbollah. It also includes three ministers loyal to pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud and one independent.
But it excludes supporters of Michel Aoun, a foe of Syria who heads the largest Christian bloc in Parliament. He says his bloc will spearhead parliamentary opposition to the government.
The ex-general told the assembly the new government must demarcate Lebanon’s borders to avoid any disputes.
Hezbollah often clashes with Israeli troops in the Shebaa Farms, a border area Beirut says is Lebanese soil still occupied by Israel. The United Nations says Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon is complete and Shebaa is Israeli-held Syrian land.
Aoun also asked the government to specify the terms under which Hezbollah might eventually hand its arms to the state.
Beyond the thorny Hezbollah issue, Siniora must also convince investors that Lebanon can maintain security without Syrian troops after a spate of bombings and assassinations.
Finance minister under Hariri, Siniora pledged broad economic reforms, partly to curb a $36 billion public debt, and said Lebanon would seek solid and balanced ties with Syria.
He vowed to resolve a border crisis with Damascus that has slowed Lebanon’s overland exports almost to a standstill.
