A new poll has found that majority of the Lebanese oppose handing over Hezbollah arms before obtaining guarantees.
According to a poll conducted by International Information research company, 58.2% of the respondents reject Hezbollah disarmament unless guarantees were provided regarding Israeli withdrawal and stopping violations, while 34.2% supported handing over weapons, and 7.6% refrained from expressing their opinion.
The highest rate of refusal to hand over Hezbollah weapons without guarantees was recorded among Shiite respondents (96.3%), while it decreased significantly among other sects, reaching 59.3% among the Druze and 44.5% among the Maronites, according to the poll.
Meanwhile, nearly two third of the respondents (63.2%) believe that Hezbollah disarmament will not lead to Israeli withdrawal and cessation of violations. While 26.4% of respondents believe that handing over weapons might contribute to this, (10.4%) refrained from answering, the poll found.
The survey was conducted between August 21 and 26, and included (1,000) Lebanese respondents distributed relatively across different regions.
The poll also showed a split over the possibility of the Lebanese Army resorting to confronting Hezbollah in case it refuses to hand over its weapons within the specified deadline. 54.4% of respondents believed that the army would not enter into a clash with Hezbollah, while 36.6% believed that it might use force to withdraw the weapons, and 9%)refrained from specifying a position.
Regarding fears of divisions among the military establishment, 53% of respondents expressed their fear that a confrontation between the army and Hezbollah would lead to this, while 40% expressed their confidence in the army remaining united, and 7% refrained from answering.
The poll figures match those announced by the Consultative Center for Studies and Documentation (CCSD), which held a poll earlier in August. The survey at time showed that 58% of the respondents oppose disarming the resistance without agreeing on a defensive strategy.
Source: Lebanese media (translated and edited by Al-Manar)
