Lebanese Army Chief Sworn in as President

Source: Alalam.ir, 25-05-2008
BEIRUT--Lebanon's newly-elected President Michel Suleiman took his oath of office as the country's 12th president on Sunday, putting a limit to the political and security crisis that Lebanon witnessed in the recent past.
Suleiman, who leaves his post as army chief, was sworn in after garnering 118 out of 127 votes in an election by parliament which had been postponed 19 times over the past six months.
"I pledge to respect and protect Lebanon's independence, sovereignty and its constitution," Suleiman, who was greeted with heavy applause from lawmakers and guests, said.
Lebanon's new President called for the establishment of diplomatic ties with Syria.
"We look strongly to brotherly ties between Lebanon and Syria in the context of mutual respect of the sovereignty and borders of each country and diplomatic ties which will bring good for both of them," Suleiman told parliament after he was elected.
House Speaker Nabih Berri congratulated Suleiman and said "Reconciliation is an essential step for the revival of Lebanon." He also thanked Qatar for its efforts toward ending the Lebanese crisis.
A Qatari-brokered deal last week between rival Lebanese leaders defused 18 months of political stalemate that erupted into fighting this month.
The ruling majority and the opposition have long agreed that Suleiman should be president, but a deadlock over the shape of a national unity government had forced the vote to be postponed 19 times, deepening the political crisis.
The deal struck in Doha met the opposition's main demand for veto power in a unity government and secured the choice of a president on good terms with Hezbollah.
Parliament has not met for over 18 months, crippling Prime Minister Fouad Saniora's government. Bouts of violence claimed scores of lives and revived memories of the 1975-90 civil war.
Saniora will now resign, but will stay on as caretaker prime minister until a new government is formed.
Under Lebanon's complex power-sharing system, the president is always a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a Sunni Muslim and the speaker of parliament a Shiite Muslim.
Suleiman, who gives up his post as army commander, fills a chair vacated six months ago by Emile Lahoud.