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Lebanon's Hariri Rules Out Joining Hezbollah Government

   VOA News  24 January 2011

   Lebanon's   acting  Prime  Minister  Saad  Hariri  says  he  will  not
   participate in any new government led by a Hezbollah-backed candidate.

   Mr.  Hariri  announced  his  refusal  Monday  as the country's interim
   government began two days of talks to choose a new prime minister.

   Hezbollah's  leader  in  Lebanon  said  Sunday  the  group will seek a
   partnership government if its candidate wins a parliamentary majority.

   Sayyed  Hassan  Nasrallah also said his group does not want to exclude
   any political party from the next government's Cabinet.

   Earlier  this  month,  Hezbollah  and  its  allies  resigned  from the
   coalition government of Prime Minister Hariri, causing it to collapse.

   The  resignations  followed  tensions over a U.N.-backed investigation
   into  the  2005  assassination  of the country's former Prime Minister
   Rafiq Hariri, the father of the interim prime minister.

   Media  reports  have  indicated  the  tribunal  will  indict Hezbollah
   members, but the group denies having had a role in the attack.

   On  Saturday,  Lebanese  Forces  leader  Samir  Geagea  reiterated his
   support  for interim Prime Minister Hariri Saturday, a day after Druze
   leader Walid Jumblatt indicated his support for Hezbollah.

   Geagea  said his support for Mr. Hariri's candidacy was an alternative
   to backing former Prime Minister Omar Karami.  News reports have said
   Hezbollah intends to back Mr. Karami.  Geagea described Mr. Karami as
   corrupt and said he is influenced by Syria.

   On Friday, Jumblatt said he was backing Hezbollah in order to preserve
   national  stability.   He leads a bloc of 11 parliament deputies, but
   it is not clear if they will follow his lead.
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