国际英语新闻：Lebanon's president elected with int'l, regional, local support

BEIRUT, May 25 (Xinhua) -- The 12th president of the Lebanese republic Gen. Michel Suleiman was elected Sunday with huge international, regional and local support after six months of presidential vacancy.

    A total of 118 votes out of 127 members of parliament (MP) voted in favor of Army Commander Michel Suleiman as president, the Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri announced in the electing session.

    MPs from the Christian majority expressed reservations regarding constitutional amendments required for the army commander to become president, but expressed support to vote for Gen. Suleiman.

Lebanese army commander General Michel Suleiman is seen in this Oct. 29, 2007 file photo.The 12th president of the Lebanese republic Gen. Michel Suleiman was elected Sunday with huge international, regional and local support after six months of presidential vacancy.

    Suleiman, a compromise candidate, appeared to be accepted by most Lebanese parties for his neutral political affiliation during most political confrontations which took place between Lebanese pro- and anti-government groups.

    The presidential vote had been postponed 19 times since September 2007. Lebanese political rival groups had been unable to achieve a breakthrough to elect a new president for the country since Nov. 24 last year when ex-president Emile Lahoud ended his term.

    After being sworn in following the electing session, Suleiman appealed for national unity and a solid reconciliation in the country.

    "We have paid dearly for our national unity. Let us safeguard it hand-in-hand," said the president.

    "A new chapter should be opened in favor of Lebanon," he said, calling for preserving national agreement in order to protect the armed forces.

    Many Arab and international guests, including Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and a delegation from the U.S. Congress, attend the session.

    These international and regional players on the Lebanese scene were represented in the election session in a sign of support to the deal that the Western-backed ruling coalition and the Hezbollah-led opposition reached in Qatar early Wednesday to end the 18-month-long political crisis.