MP Muhammad Raad. (Credit: NNA)
BEIRUT — Head of the Loyalty to the Resistance parliamentary bloc MP Muhammad Raad (Hezbollah/Nabatieh) suggested his bloc might be open to participating in the formation of the next cabinet, saying they are “open to positive cooperation with everything we see fit to achieve in the interests of the people and the interests of our country.”
Here's what we know:
• Raad stopped short of full-on pledging his bloc’s participation in the process, however, saying to opposing parliamentary factions, “We will see how you will act regarding the formation of the government and the management of the country’s affairs … we do not want to rush things.”
• Regarding claims in the media that Hezbollah and its allies have lost their parliamentary majority, Raad said that his bloc is “still a representative and weighty force that can attend and act in a manner that preserves the interest of our people and if you claim that you have the parliamentary majority, we will wait … we will see what your priorities are and how you will spend this majority in power and then we will build on the appropriate thing.”
• Raad’s remarks came at a ceremony honoring winners of a contest organized by the Association of Islamic Religious Education in Nabatieh.