Fneish: Hizbullah ready for a referendum on its weapons

 
Source: Nowlebanon.com, 4-6-2009

Hizbullah agrees to hold a popular referendum to decide the fate of its weapons, Minister of Labor Mohammad Fneish told LBC television on Wednesday night.

Fneish said that the June 7 parliamentary elections' outcome will not affect the process of national dialogue and added that the opposition aims "to improve the system in Lebanon and not change it."

He reiterated that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hizbullah's stances regarding a majority win by the opposition in the elections, saying that such a victory would strengthen the role of the Resistance in the region. Fneish declared Tehran's support to the resistance in Palestine and Lebanon to help them liberate their lands.

He also questioned the US agenda in the region and asked, "Why did not anyone respond to the speeches of "Israeli" War Minister Ehud Barak or Deputy Prime Minister Silvan Shalom warning against Hizbullah's victory in the elections?"

The labor minister said that a French delegation had proposed to Iran a three-way division of shares in Lebanon, considering such a suggestion to be a form of a bribe, all the while asserting that Hizbullah never raised the issue.

"Hizbullah is committed to the Doha Agreement regarding the Beirut II district, where two seats will be given to the opposition and two to the majority. But they are still accusing us of being fickle," Fneish argued.

Fneish concluded that Hizbullah supporters in the Jezzine district will vote for Development and Liberation bloc candidate MP Samir Azar and for two candidates affiliated with the Free Patriotic Movement.