Syrians have right to choose their government, constitution: Hezbollah chief

By Naim Berjawi​​​​​​​

BEIRUT (AA) - Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem affirmed Saturday the Syrian people's right to choose their government and constitution, days after the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime.

Qassem said in a televised speech that "the regime in Syria has fallen at the hands of new forces that we cannot judge until they stabilize, take clear positions, and establish order."

“We hope that this new governing authority in Syria considers Israel an enemy and refrains from normalizing relations with it,” he said. "It is the right of the Syrian people to choose their government and constitution,"

He expressed hope that "all parties in Syria will collaborate to ensure governance is based on serving the Syrian citizen."

He also emphasized his hope for continued "cooperation between the peoples and governments of Syria and Lebanon.

Qassem addressed recent Israeli aggression against Lebanon and said that "the Israeli enemy did not achieve its objectives in its aggression against Lebanon."

"We also prevented the enemy from entering the new Middle East through Lebanon's gateway," he said.

He clarified that "the agreement is to stop the aggression, not to end the resistance. It is an implementation of Resolution 1701 and is exclusively related to the area south of the Litani River."

UN Security Council Resolution 1701 was adopted in 2006 to end the fighting between Hezbollah and Israel during the second war in Lebanon.

Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power in Syria since 1963.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala