Raad: We Are Relaxed, We Will Win The Polls!

The head of the Loyalty to the Resistance parliamentary bloc MP Mohammad Raad renewed on Wednesday calls "to punish the killers of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri" and those who plotted "this heinous crime," in reference to Hariri's assassination on February 14, 2005.

Speaking to Kuwaiti daily Al-Rai, Raad refused to deny or confirm recent reports that chief prosecutor for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon Daniel Bellemare held talks with Hezbollah officials. Raad said the STL has become "a reality and operates according to international resolutions." He emphasized that Hezbollah "has nothing to do with the STL and does not have concerns about it."

Lebanese daily As-Safir daily reported Tuesday that Bellemare met with Hezbollah officials before leaving to The Hague last week ahead of the STL's inauguration. The daily quoted sources from the UN commission investigating Hariri's assassination as saying that last week's meeting was "fruitful and very positive."

Asked to comment on the report, Raad said: "I do not know. I can neither confirm nor deny" if such a meeting took place. He added that Hizbullah was looking into the issue.

Raad, meanwhile, disclosed that Hizbullah had some comments on a pending Memorandum of Understanding between Lebanon and the STL. Last week, the Cabinet delayed a decision to sign the MOU to give the ministers more time to study the proposal. The memorandum calls for regulating relations between the Lebanese judiciary and the general prosecutor. The Cabinet will discuss the issue in Thursday's session. "Our Cabinet ministers will discuss the MOU based on these observations," Raad said.

Moving on to an equally hot topic, the parliamentary elections, Raad appeared confident the national opposition will win the polls. "We are relaxed," he said. "What remains to be seen is by how many votes."

He saw no need for panic in light of a recent hike in crimes, including assaults, murder and kidnappings. "There is no need to be worried. There is a general agreement on the need for the elections to take place and to provide the necessary atmosphere for that to happen."

Raad reiterated that Lebanon can only be ruled through a government of national unity and national accord, in reaction to MP Saad Hariri's announcement he will not take part in a government should the opposition win the elections.