Hizbollah win bolsters its resolve to keep weapons

HIZBOLLAH’S big win at the ballot box in south Lebanon will bolster its determination to keep its weapons in the face of international pressure to disarm, senior pro-Syrian leaders said yesterday.

Syria's staunchest allies, Hizbollah and the Amal movement, swept the south's parliamentary elections on Sunday, winning all 23 seats and confirming their domination among Shi'ite Muslims, the country's largest sect.

"The win... is the decisive expression of our people's rejection of [UN] resolution 1559," Mohammad Raad, head of Hizbollah's parliamentary bloc, said.

"It is an expression of our people's commitment to protect the path, choice and weapons of the resistance."

Hizbollah which the United States labels a terrorist group has rejected the Security Council resolution which calls for disarming the group and has vowed to fight to the death any attempts to forcibly take away its weapons.

It says it is willing to engage other Lebanese in dialogue over its arms but that it would keep them as a defence against Israel.

Official results released on Monday showed the alliance of the two anti-Israeli groups had won more than 80% of votes. Turnout among the 675,000 eligible voters was 45%.

Alarmed Israel reacted to Hizbollah's victory by reiterating its demand for the guerrilla force to be disarmed.

Sunday's win keeps Hizbollah on track to win 14 seats in the 128-member assembly, up from 12 in the outgoing parliament. It has so far won six in the south and one in Beirut.

Lebanon's first elections since Syrian troops withdrew are being held region by region over four weekends until June 19.