Middle East

Lebanon MPs vote in president

by Hannah Lippitt

Article published on the 2008-05-25 Latest update 2008-05-25 15:27 TU

Army chief General Michel Sleiman (left) to be sworn in as Lebanon's new president.
(Photo : Reuters)

Lebanon's leaders have elected the country's army chief Michel Sleiman as president, in the first step towards defusing a year and a half standoff between rival factions. Sleiman was elected on Sunday at a parliamentary session attended by foreign dignitaries including Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the Emir of Qatar.

The swearing-in came after a recent escalation in violence that killed at least 65 people after armed supporters of the Hezbollah-led opposition took control of much of Beirut after the government moved to outlaw the group's private communications network.

The clashes were the worst internal violence in Lebanon since the country's 1975-1990 civil war.

According to the Qatari-mediated deal that ended fighting among the factions this month, the issue will be discussed by the leaders in a meeting chaired by the new president.

Foreign Minister Walid Muallem of Syria, a key player in Lebanon's political crisis, also witnessed the ceremony - the highest-ranking Syrian official to visit the country since the assassination in 2005 of former prime minister Rafiq Hariri.

Syria has been accused of orchestrating Hariri's murder and those of several other anti-Syrian figures but denies all involvement.

It was forced to withdraw its troops from Lebanon in April 2005 after a 29-year presence.

Damascus backs the Shiite Hezbollah-led opposition in Beirut that has been at loggerheads with the Western-backed government for the past 18 months, and has been accused of blocking the election of a new head of state in Lebanon.

The new president and government face the challenge of improving ties with Damascus, which saw the previous cabinet as hostile.