Sayyed Nasrallah over the Election Results: We Accept Official Results, Let´s Start Build

The secretary-general of Hizbullah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said the parliamentary elections in Lebanon proved false two lies: one claiming the opposition would disrupt and sabotage the elections; the other being the query about how the elections could be held in the presence of an armed occupation-resistance in the background.

In a speech televised on al-Manar television, Nasrallah announced acceptance of the parliamentary elections results as announced by the Interior Ministry in Lebanon in isolation from outside interference, sectarian incitement, or financial expenditure. His Eminence stated that there is an opportunity for a strong and fair state, calling on the other side to candidly express itself.

Sayyed Nasrallah congratulated the winners of the elections saying they now have in their trust the country and the people, stressing that the opposition in Lebanon maintained their level of parliamentary representation.

His Eminence called on research and statistics centers to determine whether the new majority possesses the popular majority. He said what is most important is that the Lebanese demonstrated the ability to maintain security, civil peace and electoral competition without compromising the viability of security and stability.

Nasrallah reiterated the commitment to serve the reform project which composed the basis the people elected the opposition on, considering that in spite of its importance, the elections are merely a station along the path of serving noble projects.

The following is the full text to that speech:

"I seek refuge in God from Satan, the accursed. In the name of Allah, the merciful, the compassionate; praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds; may the peace and blessings of God be upon our Lord and Prophet, the seal of the prophets Abu el-Kassem Muhammad Bin Abdullah and his good and chaste family members, righteous companions, and all the Apostles and messengers;

Peace and God's mercy and blessings to you all.

Tonight I will talk about public matters then gradually move onto to private issues, and conclude with two general public matters.

Of course, the subject of my discourse tonight is the parliamentary elections we have just been through and their outcome.

First: I would like to congratulate the Lebanese people of all political forces, trends, categories and divisions on accomplishing this significantly important national achievement. I also laud the high public turnout at the ballots in all regions from all leanings, as it reflects a high sense of political responsibility towards the homeland and its issues, the present and future of this country and its people. This is a very positive point that must be acknowledged, confirmed and strengthened. It reveals a clear path that we, as Lebanese people, deserve this opportunity and have the means to resort to it in the face of the basic issues.

Second: I should like to thank all the ministries and departments and the administrative, political, judicial and security institutions, especially the Lebanese army and security forces for running this process and that they maintained security and stability and peace, and for providing a huge opportunity to the Lebanese to vote and express their views, especially that these political, security and judiciary departments faced the major challenge of holding general elections on a single day, despite the mistakes and flaws that certainly necessitate further evaluation and subsequent rectification.

We consider it a great challenge that was faced with a high degree of responsibility.

Third: I would like to congratulate all the winners of the parliamentary elections, be they 'March 14' or from the opposition in the various constituencies, who must know by now that they carry in their trust the people, the country and its future, and God willing they are all up to this responsibility and trust.

Fourth: We accept the results announced by the Minister of the Interior. Certainly if certain specifics necessitate or oblige candidates to appeal to the Constitutional Council, this right will always be upheld and is a separate matter.
Meanwhile, in a true democratic spirit and sportsmanship we recognize and accept the officially announced results that the rival camp has secured the majority of parliament seats, knowing that the opposition has also kept the previously held number of parliamentary seats, as it lost in some constituencies but won in others.

In past speeches I used to say there is a difference between parliamentary majority and popular majority in Lebanon. The parliamentary majority may or may not hold popular majority.

As for popular majority, studies and statistics centers are supposedly reviewing the figures carefully to see who enjoys more popular support.

I think just as we all resort to ballots to find out the parliamentary majority, opinions polls also reveal popular majority. If opinion polls give the majority to the 'March 14' bloc, I would then acknowledge that they also represent popular majority.

We accept these results regardless of our evaluation of the entire process and the means employed, whether through the huge expenditure, which will become apparent in days to come, or the sectarian, religious and -sometimes- racist incitement rhetoric, which became clear during the electoral campaign, or the accusations and lies employed to intimidate public opinion, mainly in some districts of certain confessional beliefs, in addition to the blatant foreign interference.

However I will not tackle this issue tonight and it will not affect our acceptance of the results.

In this context, while we talk about results and the acceptance of results I wish to underscore the exposure of two main lies promoted during the electoral campaign that have been thwarted. This topic is specifically relevant to us, especially the opposition and Hizbullah in particular. I, therefore, feel it is my concern to highlight these two points and clarify them: For months we repeatedly heard in election speeches, statements, and interviews the question of how the elections can be run in the shadow of an armed occupation-resistance.

That any such elections are not fair, do not provide true representation, and that the people are pressured into certain choices unable to freely express themselves.

That this weapon imposes certain choices against the convictions held by the people!

Again, just to be on the safe side, such talk was said by most - rather than all- of the leaderships among 'March 14' side, articles were written about this point and many long debates on the subject were held.

Had the opposition won, this fairness of the elections would have been questioned again, and that such results were due to the presence of the armed resistance.

But now that the 'March 14' bloc won, no one is mentioning the issue, and again I would like to add that this big lie has been exposed today.

Elections took place in all districts in Lebanon, at a time when the resistance not only possesses weapons but an arsenal of weapons unprecedented in its size since its foundation in 1982, yet nothing has happened. The people voted without any political choice imposed on anyone, yielding the results announced today.

One of the most important conclusions today is that these weapons are not for imposing political realities, despite the fact that the parliamentary elections are the most important political event in the entire political arena, as it elects the most important institution which itself elects the president of the republic - hence today's results also did away with the lie that the opposition wants to reduce the presidential term- it forms the government, decrees laws, the general budget, etc...

Hence, if we are to ask what the most important national domestic juncture is, the answer is ‘the parliamentary elections'.

The people had their say freely; the whole electoral process was without a trace of the existence of this weapon.

This confirms what we have always said that this weapon is not for imposing political realities, to force people into or distance others from government, that this weapon has a clear function of resistance and the defense of the homeland.

The electoral process proved, despite those who made misleading allegations, the integrity of the party using those arms.

To conclude this point, I like to stress what is important in this experience is that the Lebanese, as government, people and political and security forces, have proven their ability to preserve security, stability, civil peace, to handle political, media and popular competitiveness even in its sharpest aspects, without tampering with security and stability... Something we must preserve and protect.

Thus, we have always been calling for resorting to the ballots; we could have spared our country all the problems.

Fifth:

I would also like to greet all the leaderships and cadres of opposition parties and their supportive communities and tell them that together we have set an honest national objective of working on fulfilling the project of political, judicial, economic, social and financial reform.

This is why we, as Lebanese National Opposition, have sought after the majority in parliament: to serve this project but not to seize authority.

We have fought this battle together towards this purpose applying all the legitimate means possible to achieve it... and together we confronted what can be named as "the global war against us", as described by General Michel Aoun, because nearly all countries in the world interfered in the elections.

This huge national battle was also fought with all sincerity by opposition communities, hence, if we are not able to serve the project we have believed in - by being a majority - it does not mean we have no obligation to serve it from any other position, through popular political and parliamentary opposition, whether from outside or within government.
These choices are open to discussion.

But in all cases, the responsibility toward the reform project we believed in and endeavoured to achieve remains current.

Today, I renew the pledge as I call on all opposition leaderships to renew their pledge along side the wide popular support groups which gave their votes in all the districts, to renew our commitment to them to serve the reform project which these popular groups believed in, worked towards... they who endured and suffered along with the opposition forces throughout the recent period.

Hence this non-ending responsibility does not cease.

Although it is important, nonetheless, elections are not more than a station on a long road of national political struggle to fulfill these noble goals. It is now our duty in the opposition to confer among ourselves, very soon God willing, to determine our next steps and the way ahead to deal with the coming issues.

In the natural progression of events resulting from these elections, there lies ahead the choosing of the House Speaker, naming a Prime Minister, forming government and other issues that follow.

Sixth: Moving from this public matter to the private domain
I would like offer from the depth of my heart and on behalf of all my brothers in the Hizbullah leadership to offer thanks and gratitude to the resistance supporters in particular and Hizbullah supporters more specifically.

To use our categorization of electoral districts:

- The districts where there was no competition, but which we considered on hot zone, such as the districts of south Lebanon and Baalbek-Hermel,

- Beirut's southern Dahyieh suburb - where there was some competition;

- The districts where there was no competition

We have called on voters to show strong presence to express their political choices and convictions, particularly with regards to the resistance issue, because those were the people who have paid the tax, the tax of displacement and blood (during the wars of June 2006 and others), and we noticed that the turnout in these districts was huge and in some cases exceeded the turnout in some districts where there was strong competition.

This was not a surprise because this is the voters' conviction.

I would like to thank the voters who took part in the remaining districts where electoral competition took place, such as the Western Bekaa, Rashayya, Central Bekaa, Mount Lebanon, districts of north Lebanon, and Beirut districts generally... where we have popular grassroots support bases and activists who put forth great effort.

I would also like to offer my gratitude to the campaigns' staff in all areas who worked incessantly for months in a clear effort to secure this massive public turnout, in districts with Shiaa seats and in districts where Hizbullah candidates were running and in all other districts because we consider that the opposition as a whole was engaged in this same electoral battle, and therefore, it is our natural right to be present, wherever we have voters, north Matn, Kesserwan, Kourah, etc...

On the other hand, I condemn the sectarian, religious and racial discriminatory rhetoric that considers that a certain majority in a certain district should determine its fate. Why is this rhetoric considered sectarian here (opposition) and then considered patriotic there (March 14)?

Every Lebanese, regardless of his religion or sect, in the area they are registered in, has the right to vote, it is even his national obligation. Abandoning this obligation is abandoning his patriotic responsibilities.

I congratulate all the candidates of the Loyalty to the Resistance parliamentary bloc because they have gained unprecedented public support in all the districts.

I would like to conclude with two general points

The first point or lie: the political rhetoric employed for months claiming that the opposition does not want the elections to be held, that they want to disrupt the political and security mood in order to prevent them.

More in that lie was the promotion of the opposition that during the voting phase or counting votes, should the numbers not favor the opposition to win the parliamentary majority, the opposition would disrupt the elections, sabotage the ballot boxes and the political and security situation. Or that once the results came out, the resistance would reject the results, appeal against the entire parliamentary elections and consider it illegitimate, hence, lead the country into public, political and security turmoil.

This was said not by all the 'March 14' leaderships, by most of them.

Today, Monday, I am at your service. I am speaking to you after the official results came out; the results prove that was the biggest lie ever used in the campaign. We have witnessed a remarkable day of elections, a huge turnout and with no problems, excellent security wise, a calm vote count and announcement of results without incident.

It was evidently clear that everyone was in fear of that lie, I was following the reports announced by the Internal Affairs Minister- special regards to him in his efforts - he was announcing the end of the vote phase, declaring the new phase of announcing the vote count results, and the phase of accepting the results.

Clearly there were concerns round the results.

This is the first point, and we can thus say in hindsight this was one of the "big lies" employed during the electoral campaign that has been disclosed now.

The heavily used the second lie, which is even greater than the first, during the election campaign, and I am not bringing this up for point scoring, no, but only to shed a light for the new forthcoming phase, in order to benefit from the past to illumine the future...
For months we heard repeated in election speeches, statements, and interviews the question how the elections can be run in the shadow of an armed occupation-resistance?
That any such elections are not fair, do not provide true representation, and that the people are pressured into certain choices unable to freely express themselves.
That this weapon imposes certain choices against the convictions held by the people!

Again, just to be on the safe side, such talk was said by most - rather than all- of the leaderships among 'March 14' side, articles were written about this point and many long debates on the subject were held.
Had the opposition won, this fairness of the elections would have been questioned again, and that such results were due to the presence of the armed resistance.
But now that the 'March 14' bloc won, no one is mentioning the issue, and again I would like to add that this big lie has been exposed today.

Elections took place in all districts in Lebanon, at a time when the resistance does not only possess weapons but an arsenal of weapons unprecedented in size since its foundation in 1982, yet nothing has happened. The people voted without any political choice imposed on anyone, yielding the results announced today.

One of the most important conclusions today is that this weapon is not for imposing political realities, despite the fact that the parliamentary elections are the most important political event in the entire political arena, as it elects the most important institution which itself elects the president of the republic - hence today's results also did away with the lie that the opposition wants to reduce the presidential term- it forms the government, decrees laws, the general budget, etc...
Hence, if we are to ask what is the most important national domestic juncture it is the parliamentary elections.

The people had their say freely; the whole electoral process was without a trace of the existence of this weapon.
This confirms what we have always said that this weapon is not for imposing political realities, to force people into or distance others from government, that this weapon has a clear function of resistance and the defense of the homeland.

The electoral process proved, despite those who made misleading allegations, the integrity of the party using those arms.

To conclude this point, I like to stress what is important in this experience is that the Lebanese, as government, people and political and security forces, have proven their ability to preserve security, stability, civil peace, to handle political, media and popular competitiveness even in its sharpest aspects, without tampering with security and stability. Something we must preserve and protect.

Thus, we have always been calling for resorting to the ballot boxes; we could have spared our country all the problems.

Fifth:
I would also like to greet all the leaderships and cadres of opposition parties, their supportive communities and tell them that together we have set an honest national objective of working on fulfilling the project of political, judicial, economic, social and financial reform.
This is why we, as Lebanese national opposition, have sought after the majority in parliament; to serve this project but not to grab authority.

We have fought this battle together towards this purpose applying all the legitimate means possible to achieve this purpose, and together we confronted what can be named as "the global war against us", as described by General Michel Aoun, because nearly all countries in the world interfered in the elections.

This huge national battle was also fought with all sincerity by opposition communities, hence, if we are not able to serve the project we have believed in - by being a majority - it does not mean we have no obligation to serve it from any other position, through popular political and parliamentary opposition, whether from outside or within government.
These choices are open to discussion.

But in all cases, the responsibility toward the reform project we believed in and endeavoured to achieve remains current.

Today, I renew the pledge as I call on all opposition leaderships to renew their pledge along side the wide popular support groups which gave their votes in all the districts, to renew our commitment to them to serve the reform project, which these popular groups believed in, worked towards, who endured and suffered along with the opposition forces throughout the recent period.
Hence this non-ending responsibility does not cease.

Although it is important, however, elections are not more than a station on a long road of national political struggle to fulfill these noble goals. It is now our duty in the opposition to confer among ourselves, very soon God willing, to determine our next steps and the way ahead to deal with the coming issues.
In the natural progression of events resulting from these elections, there lies ahead the choosing of the House Speaker, naming a Prime Minister, forming government and other issues that follow.

Sixth: Moving from this public matter to the private domain
I would like offer from the depth of my heart and on behalf of all my brothers in the Hizbullah leadership to offer thanks and gratitude to the resistance supporters in particular and Hizbullah supporters more specifically.

To use our categorization of electoral districts:
- The districts where there was no competition, but which we considered on hot zone, such as the districts of south Lebanon and Baalbek-Hermel,
- Beirut's southern Dahyieh suburb - where there was some competition;
- The districts where there was no competition
We have called on voters to show strong presence to express their political choices and convictions, particularly with regards to the resistance issue, because those were the people who have paid the tax, the tax of displacement and blood (during the wars of June 2006 and others), and we noticed that the turnout in these districts was huge and in some cases exceeded the turnout in some districts where sharp competition.
This was not a surprise because this is the voters' conviction.

I would like to thank the voters who took part in the remaining districts where electoral competition took place, such as the Western Bekaa, Rashayya, Central Bekaa, Mount Lebanon, districts of north Lebanon, Beirut districts generally, where we have popular grassroots support bases and activists who spent great efforts.

I would also like to offer my gratitude to the campaigns' staffs in all areas who worked incessantly for months in a clear effort to secure this massive public turnout, in districts with Shiaa seats and in districts where Hizbullah candidates were running and in all other districts because we consider that the opposition as a whole was engaged in this same electoral battle, and therefore, it is our natural right to be present, wherever we have voters, north Matn, Kesserwan, Kourah, etc...

On the other hand, I condemn the sectarian, religious and racial discriminatory rhetoric that considers that a certain majority in a certain district should determine its fate. Why is this rhetoric considered sectarian here (opposition) and then considered patriotic there (March 14)?

Every Lebanese, regardless of his religion or sect, in the area they are registered in, has the right to vote, it is even his national obligation, abandoning this obligation is abandoning his patriotic responsibilities.

I congratulate all the candidates of the Loyalty to the Resistance parliamentary bloc because they have gained unprecedented public support in all the districts.

Concluding two points
I would like to conclude with two general points
The first point is related to the people and the wide scale embrace particularly in the districts where the elections were more or less the referendum I referred to moments ago.
The people have given a message to the entire world that the resistance choice is not the choice of an armed party or gang, or a choice forced on the people by threat of weapons or temptation of money.

No one could force voters, particularly in districts where electoral competition was absent. Voters still turned out in huge numbers to the ballot boxes, left the cities and traveled to their villages, or the people in villages themselves still registered huge voting participation registered their voices in favor of the resistance choice, even when the threat of competition was absent.

These people told the world through the voting boxes that the choice of the resistance was a popular choice especially in regions facing aggression, in the circle of threats and danger; hence the resistance choice is an expression of their will, direction, culture, awareness and lives.
This will, must be respected.
This is the first message.

The second message
The subject of the resistance not being a piece of arms to be discussed or decided on, but a popular will. If this matter is to be discussed, as we have just said, it would be left up to the national dialogue table, to discuss the people's awareness, choice and resolve, especially those whose lives fall within the threat circle.

On this exact point, since I heard some statements and discussions expressing anxiety towards this topic for the coming phase, I reassure there is no need for fear, the resistance topic so long as it is a popular choice, embraced by the popular community, no need for any anxiety because no one can do anything against the people's will.

This is something we stressed before the elections and after them, when we said that regardless of who was going to win. This topic is to be a subject of calm dialogue. I believe all parties declared commitment to this path, hence no need to place this topic in the circle of concern or altercation.

The final point I like to conclude with, is that I would like to tell the Lebanese, especially now after having gone through this great national political accomplishment, that the chance to build a just, capable and strong state is still standing, regardless of the outcome of the elections.

We all agree that there are big challenges ahead of us as Lebanese, as a nation, state and people, whether on the economic level-seeing there is an international financial crisis, the social, political, living standard, administrative and great many other levels.

I also believe we ought to have already reached the conviction that to save and develop this country, raise its status, solve its problems and to preserve its independence, sovereignty and freedom, necessitates the cooperation of all sides, regardless of the form this cooperation or coordination takes.

This opportunity still exists and we do not consider lost at all, this is related to all political forces that have proved through the voting boxes to represent a wide public political, popular and parliamentary presence. Even those who did not win parliamentary seats, yet votes proved they still enjoy strong public support in their areas, cannot be ignored.

Hence, this is connected with the will of all the forces and sides, but primarily related to those who won parliamentary majority, and how they will conduct themselves regarding what their real program is.
Forget what they said during the election campaign; they must tell us now after the elections:
- What is the real program of this majority?
- What is the project it wants to work on? Is its project clear, transparent, above board or under the table?
This is important for the Lebanese-all the Lebanese to know because it concerns the future of their country.
- What are its priorities?
- How will its conduct be regarding public affairs?
- Will it make use of past experiences? Particularly the past four years?
- Will it have its priorities in the right order and correctly work on them?

No matter how the current situation is viewed, the nature of the elections results imposes on the elected parties and the elected majority team, a way of conduct for the coming phase. Of course the Lebanese opposition which preserved its parliamentary presence, and political and popular position, which may have wider popular representation- to be ascertained by unfolding figures over the next few days- it too is also concerned with the fate of the country, and cannot abandon the field at all, because of a certain increase in the number of seats.

But I reiterate that primarily the other team in the coming phase should be the concerned party with making their program plain and clear to the Lebanese, to leave nothing hidden, because we are a country that surpasses conflicts and disputes through important elements of transparency, clarity and honesty, such qualities open the doors wide to dialogue and mutual understanding.

Let us try to build a republic based on sincerity rather than lies, wrong priorities, suspicions, accusations, anxieties and fears.

Tonight I did not want respond to everything that was said during the electoral campaign, this is behind us now.
Just as today clearly revealed the two big lies that were used during the elections about the opposition's stand towards the elections, and the elections in light of the resistance's weapons, the coming days will give us a clearer picture of what is to come as well.

Hence, do (parliamentary majority) come forward, based on sincerity, honesty and in all frankness, as majority and opposition, to be able to together build, protect and develop our country and pull it out of the constant crises it has long suffered.

For now, it suffices to say, we are in front of a new phase and a new situation. To all those who invested gigantic efforts in the recent phase I say thank you, this is one station, we have to deal with all its results and effects, we have to learn from the past and read it well, determine our weak and strength points, positives and negatives, and develop our presence.

However, what will never change is our commitment to our people and our country and to those who have offered their blood and given colossal efforts for the sake of liberating, defending and upholding this country.

This station ought to increase their determination and resolve to continue the work and struggle in all hope and confidence in the future in order to be able to keep our country for which the dearest of our brothers, sons and dear ones offered their sacrifices and blessed souls, to preserve, protect and develop God willing.

May God remunerate your efforts with good health
Peace, God mercy and blessings be upon you all