Émile Lahoud

Émile Lahoud Geamil (Arabic إميل جميل لحود; born January 12, 1936 in Baabdat, Lebanon ) is a Lebanese politician and former military from 1998 to 2007 he was president. He is the uncle of Nassib Lahoud and Armenian descent. His maternal grandparents, Takouhi Kalebjian and Minas Sagerian came from the Black Sea city Adabasar (now Adapazari in Turkey) and were killed during the genocide of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire.

Lahoud studied at several military academies at home and abroad. He was a career officer in the rank of General and prior to his election as president commander in chief of the armed forces of Lebanon. Under him several militias were integrated into the Lebanese army after the Civil War (1990). The Lebanese constitution was changed in 1998 to pressure Syria to choose a military person as president can.

Lahoud was since 1998 as the successor Élias Hrawis President and confirmed in the parliamentary elections from August to October 2000. Previously, he was a career officer and commander of the Lebanese army. Lahoud is a member of the Christian- Maronite denomination.

Critics and opponents accuse him for being too close to the up to her in 2005 of deduction often perceived as occupiers Syrians. He was a political opponent of former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, who was on his convoy of vehicles to life in an assassination attempt. In 2004 he was appointed by the Lebanese Parliament in opposition to constitutional term limits for another three years as head of state.

To succeed Lahoud was kindled in the weeks before the official end of Lahoud's a dispute between the pro-Syrian and anti- Syrian parties. Although the coalition of March 14 has the majority in parliament could not agree on a common candidate to be. Since the pro-Syrian opposition threatened a boycott of the ballot, and thus would not have been a quorum, the Parliament, the election of Lahoud's successor was postponed despite the expiry of his term of office on 23 November 2007 to 30 November. Lahoud had then transferred the responsibility for the security and stability of the country to the Lebanese Armed Forces a few hours before the end of his term. He saw the danger of a state of emergency.