BEIRUT, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Shiite armed group Hezbollah's chief Hassan Nasrallah on Monday announced a new political document which called for abolishing political sectarianism and vowed to continue armed resistance against Israel.

    "The political sectarianism is blocking the development of the Lebanese political regime and standing as an obstacle in the face of a democracy where the majority rules and the minority opposes," said Nasrallah at a press conference in Hezbollah's stronghold Dahieya, on the southern suburbs of Beirut.

    Nasrallah said Hezbollah's new platform rejects any form of division and federalism, saying that abolishing political sectarianism is a basic condition for the implementation of the majority-minority rule.

    This year Lebanon witnessed a five-month-long absence of a cabinet after the June parliamentary election mainly due to the political sectarianism, as rival Western- and Saudi-backed majority and Hezbollah-dominant opposition supported by Iran and Syria kept bargaining over portfolios.

    In the meantime, the Hezbollah chief said the Israeli threat is forcing Lebanon to endorse a defense strategy that depends on a popular resistance and the army.

    "The resistance has reasons for strengthening itself," said Nasrallah.

    He said that the defense strategy should only be discussed during the upcoming national dialogue, which involves all major Lebanese parties and is chaired by Lebanese President Michel Suleiman.

    Nasrallah was re-elected as head of Hezbollah for a sixth term earlier this month following a congress that also adopted the new document, which was not revealed at the time.

    Hezbollah's first manifesto in 1985 called for the establishment of Islamic rule in Lebanon, but the party leadership has toned down its rhetoric in recent years as it gained political clout.

    The new Lebanese cabinet's policy statement was finalized last week with Hezbollah keeping its arms.

    Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned last week that all of Lebanon, not Hezbollah alone, which owns thousands of short and mid-range rockets, would be the target of retaliatory attacks should the militant group escalate tension along Israel's northern border.