BEIRUT, Lebanon, June 8 (UPI) -- The opposition movement and Hezbollah accept the outcome of the Lebanese parliamentary elections, the secretary-general of Hezbollah said in a speech Monday.
Lebanese voted in parliamentary elections during the weekend in a hotly contested race between the opposition March 8 coalition, which includes Hezbollah, and the pro-Western March 14 slate, led by Saad Hariri, son of the slain former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Analysts had predicted March 8 would take a slim majority over March 14, relying on the support from its Christian allies.
Washington, led by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, traveled to Beirut in brief but high-profile visits meant to bolster March 14, saying a win for Hezbollah would have a negative effect on U.S. support for Lebanon.
Preliminary polling showed March 14 won 71 of the 128 parliamentary seats against the March 8 slate with 57 seats.
In a Monday speech on the Hezbollah news channel al-Manar, Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah acknowledged the defeat.
"I congratulate the winners who have to know that they have just taken the responsibility of the people," he said. "We accept the announced results by the interior minister."
Apart from Western concerns over a Beirut government led by Hezbollah, analysts worried that a March 14 victory would leave simmering political divisions unresolved, while a March 8 victory would leave Lebanon without a coalition government.
The March 14 victory was greeted with praise by U.S. President Barack Obama, who congratulated the Lebanese people for a successful election and pledged continued support for Beirut.
"It is our sincere hope that the next government will continue along the path towards building a sovereign, independent and stable Lebanon," said Obama.
