MP Fadlallah: Appointments must not be politicized

Source: Nowlebanon.com, 20-8-2008
Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Hassan Fadlallah said on Wednesday that the decision over who should be the next army commander was a "delicate subject" that should not be influenced by "political disputes."
Speaking at a ceremony organized by Hizbullah in Hay al-Sillom, Fadlallah said that "a sense of national responsibility" should guide the appointment, which he said "must be concluded in the coming cabinet meeting so that the army can continue performing its duties."
"The cabinet must act as one team to handle its responsibilities, and Hizbullah will offer any help it can."
Fadlallah promised that his party would enter all discussions with "an open mind," and said that if the government was to "function properly," consensus, rather than "political calculations," had to be the basis of all administrative appointments.
Fadlallah also discussed the national dialogue, which he said Hizbullah wanted "to begin as quickly as possible." Fadlallah said the dialogue needed to address the issue of "national defense strategy."