Suleiman elected Lebanese President with 118 votes out of 127

Source: compiled by Hizbollah.tv, 25-05-2008
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri announced the election of general Michel Suleiman as President of Lebanon with 118 votes out of 127, meanwhile there were 6 white papers with no names and a paper electing Nasib Lahoud, one electing John Obeid, and a third electing "Rafik Hariri and martyr members of Parliament".
Speaker Berri had headed the parliamentary session at 5 in the afternoon at Nijmi Square, the location of the Lebanese Parliament building, amid official political presence, both Arab and international, the matter which is historically unprecedented in presidential election sessions. Most significant among the present guests are Syriam FM and Iranian FM, along with Qatar Amir Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, and Kouchner.
In the session there were interjections for Botros Harb Nayla Mouawwad, and George Oudwan where they thanked the Arab initiatives that lead to the presidential election session meanwhile they displayed their reserves on the mechanism of the election considering it a violation of the constitution. In the meantime, Hussein Al-Husseini asked that the 49th article in the constitution be made temporarily inactive as to avoid the presence of any criticism on the election process.
After the count was finished and Michel Suleiman was announced president, former president Emile Lahoud arrived at the parliament building with a note that the latter had won the presidency with the same number of votes, 118 that is.
President Michel Suleiman is the 12th president to be elected since the independence on the 21st of September 1943.