Hezbollah refuses to back Hariri as PM

Hezbollah has refused to back Saad Hariri as prime minister of Lebanon after the collapse of his cabinet due to tensions caused by a US-backed tribunal.

Hezbollah Secretary General Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah said his movement and allies would not back the appointment of Hariri as prime minster in talks expected to begin on Monday.

Nasrallah pointed out that leaders of several countries had intervened to demand that Hariri be nominated to form another government.

But the Hezbollah chief said, “The opposition unanimously will not name Hariri tomorrow” as candidate for prime minister.

“It was a must to topple the incapable government because bringing it down might — and I say ‘might’ — open the door for Lebanon to form a loyal government,” Nasrallah noted.

Hariri’s government collapsed on Wednesday when Hezbollah and its allies resigned in a dispute over the US-sponsored Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), set up to investigate the 2005 killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri.

Unconfirmed reports say the US-backed court will most likely issue an indictment against some Hezbollah members.

Nasrallah rebuffed the allegations, describing it as part of dangerous projects against the resistance movement.

Nasrallah, however, declined to say who Hezbollah would support as candidate for prime minister.

Under Lebanon’s Constitution, the country’s premier must be a Sunni Muslim.