Hizbullah launches electoral campaign in Mount Lebanon, Qassem: Our proposal of national unity government surpasses the

General coordinator of Parliamentary Elections in Hizbullah, Hizbullah deputy secretary general sheikh Naim Qassem launched the party's electoral machine in the districts of: Northern Metn, Kissourwan, Jubeil, and North Lebanon...in a ceremony held at Shahed Schools Auditorium in Beirut's southern subereb.

During the ceremony Sheikh Qassem congratulated everyone on the anneversasry of the birth of Prophet Mohammad (pbuh). Qassem noted that Hizbullah is a minority in the area but stressed that Hizbullah "doesn't depend on numbers, money, or weapons...It depends on purity of the hearts and chastity of the pockets" that actually "works with our society".

Qassem added that there are some in Lebanon that are disturbed by any mention of Hizbullah's reliance on honor, chasity, and truthfulness. Qassem wondered what keeps those ‘disturbed' persons from doing the same.

Qassem stressed that the changes in some "international or Arab political performance then that is due to the post-Bush era which in itself constitutes a declaration of the failure of the sanctions, wars, and occupation....and signals the beginning of dialogue and listening to the demands of nations."

Qassem said that Hizbullah will wait and observe the ongoing changes and developments in the region and the world.

In a comment on the issue of persistent pressures on Lebanon and the resistance, Qassem stated that Hizbullah has placed "Israel" and the United States on the "Terror List", and that, "We are the ones that place them on terror lists, and not the other way around," adding that the time when whatever the Americans said and did took a great deal of significance has ended.

Qassem declared that the National Unity Government that has been formed is in a tense state and nevertheless has brought forth stability both politically and in security, and has made progress on the level of putting a limit to foreign interference. Qassem noted that Hizbullah considers that a national unity government is the answer and solution for Lebanon and its various complexities.

Qassem explained that Hizbullah's electoral campaign is based on two matters: "Protecting and building our country... in other words, resistance and development. We consider them an inseparable pair, partners on the same path. We don't call for a resistance without development nor do we believe that Lebanon's development can occur without protecting the resistance because our surroundings, namely ‘Israel', will never allow us to build our country."

Sheikh Qassem went into the details of development and how Lebanon should be governed and on the Taaif Accord on which he stressed that Hizbullah is "with the Taaif Accord without selectiveness because such an accord doesn't achieve Lebanon's needs."

Qassem commented on the Memorandum of Understanding between Hizbullah and the Free Patriotic Movement stressing that it "removed sectarian barriers". He went on to confirm that in the upcoming parliamentary elections the opposition wants the majority in order to "assist in our reform vision and a national unity government. The elections are an important phase but its results wouldn't change the current state entirely but would assist in some options."

Qassem assured that the inter-Arab reconciliations would not affect the electoral lists. Qassem added that the names of the candidates would be declared gradually and that the lists should be completed by the end of March. Qassem assured that Hizbullah's tone in its address would remain calm and that Hizbullah would not be intimidated.