Anna Fifield of the Financial Times interviewed Sheikh Naim Qassem, deputy secretary-general of Hizbollah, after being taken to Hizbollah offices at an undisclosed location in Beirut on May 11 2009. The armed anti-Israeli movement leads the ‘March 8’ opposition coalition in Lebanon and could win the balance of power at the parliamentary elections next month. This is the transcript of the interview.

Financial Times: Hizbollah now leads the ‘March 8’ opposition in Lebanon. How do you rate the opposition’s chances of winning the elections next month, and if you win, what will be your first priorities for the government?