Suleiman Frangieh
Encyclopedia
Suleiman Kabalan Frangieh, last name also spelled Frangié, Franjieh, or Franjiyeh (15 June 1910 - 23 July 1992) , was President of Lebanon
from 1970 to 1976. During his presidency, the Palestinian-Lebanese war erupted that eventually transformed into a civil war, which raged from 1975 to 1990.
, near Tripoli
; the family's name comes from the Greek Φρὰγκοι (pron. "Franggi"), after the Franks
.
Frangieh was the second son of a politician, Kabalan Suleiman Frangieh and his mother was Lamia Raffoul. Kabalan Frangieh was a member of Parliament
and his grandfather, a District Governor in the North.
Frangieh had five children with his Egypt
ian-born wife, Iris Handaly. Suleiman Frangieh took over the Parliament seat in 1958 from his brother Hamid Frangieh, after the latter became ill. In June 1978, Suleiman Frangieh's son Tony Frangieh, himself a Member of Parliament, was assassinated together with his wife and infant daughter. Suleiman Frangieh, Jr.
, the son of the murdered MP,nwas elected as Member of Parliament and eventually became a Minister of Health.
, the National Assembly
elected Frangieh to the Presidency of the Republic on August 17, 1970. He owed his upset victory over Elias Sarkis
, the official candidate of the Chehabi regime to a last minute change of mind by Kamal Jumblatt
, whose supporters in the Parliament switched their votes to Frangieh.
Posing as a consensus candidate, Frangieh drew support from both the right and the left and from all religious factions; his election was a backlash to the administrations of Presidents of Fuad Chehab
(1958–1964) and Charles Helou
(1964–1970) and the "Deuxième Bureau" run by the preceding two administrations of Chehab and Helou, as the opposing candidate Elias Sarkis who was head of the Banque du Liban
(Central Bank of Lebanon) was widely seen as a continuation of the earlier Chehabi regime.
There were three rounds of elections that year:
Round 1 - 99 Deputies, 5 candidates - no majority
Round 2 - 99 Deputies, 2 candidates - 50 votes each (1 fake vote found), round was negated.
Round 3 - 99 Deputies, 2 candidates, Kamal Jumblatt assigns one of his deputies to vote for Frangieh. Suleiman Frangieh becomes President legally. The events listed above as per the testimony of the late Kamal Joumblatt of his role in the vote.
Sabri Hamadeh, then Speaker of Parliament, had refused to announce the election of a President on a 1-vote difference. As Hamadeh exited parliament Michel Sassine
, Deputy Speaker of Parliament, stepped up and exercized his powers of Deputy to announce Frangieh President.http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArchiveDetails.aspx?ID=13521 (See two additional pictures of Sassine
announcing Sleiman Frangieh President:http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/7387/sassinefranjieh.jpg, http://img573.imageshack.us/img573/6040/michelsassinevssabriham.jpg)
began, Frangieh maintained a militia, the Marada Brigade
, under the command of his son Tony Frangieh
. He initially participated in the Lebanese Front
, a right-wing, mainly Christian, coalition of politicians and militia leaders, but in early 1978 he broke with them because of his own pro-Syrian leanings. In June 1978, Tony, together with his wife and infant daughter, was assassinated by militiamen with Phalangist militia being accused of the plot. Frangieh never vowed revenge for death of his son and his family.
Frangieh remained an ally of Syria. He attempted to make a comeback in 1988, but the National Assembly failed to achieve a quorum
owing to a boycott by some Christian parliamentarians enforced by the Lebanese Forces
militia. He died on 23 July 1992, two years after the civil war ended.
----
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
from 1970 to 1976. During his presidency, the Palestinian-Lebanese war erupted that eventually transformed into a civil war, which raged from 1975 to 1990.
Beginnings
Suleiman Frangieh was a scion of one of the leading Maronite families of ZghartaZgharta
Zgharta, or Zghorta is a large town in North Lebanon, with an estimated population of around 70,000.Zgharta is about 150 metres above sea level and lies between the rivers of Jouit and Rashein...
, near Tripoli
Tripoli, Lebanon
Tripoli is the largest city in northern Lebanon and the second-largest city in Lebanon. Situated 85 km north of the capital Beirut, Tripoli is the capital of the North Governorate and the Tripoli District. Geographically located on the east of the Mediterranean, the city's history dates back...
; the family's name comes from the Greek Φρὰγκοι (pron. "Franggi"), after the Franks
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
.
Frangieh was the second son of a politician, Kabalan Suleiman Frangieh and his mother was Lamia Raffoul. Kabalan Frangieh was a member of Parliament
Parliament of Lebanon
The Parliament of Lebanon is the national parliament of Lebanon. There are 128 members elected to a four-year terms in multi-member constituencies, apportioned among Lebanon's diverse Christian and Muslim denominations. Lebanon has universal adult suffrage...
and his grandfather, a District Governor in the North.
Frangieh had five children with his Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian-born wife, Iris Handaly. Suleiman Frangieh took over the Parliament seat in 1958 from his brother Hamid Frangieh, after the latter became ill. In June 1978, Suleiman Frangieh's son Tony Frangieh, himself a Member of Parliament, was assassinated together with his wife and infant daughter. Suleiman Frangieh, Jr.
Suleiman Frangieh, Jr.
Suleiman Tony Franjieh , born on November 18, 1965 in Zgharta, Lebanon is the current leader of the Marada Movement and a Member of Parliament for the Maronite Catholic seat of Zgharta-Zawyie, in North Lebanon...
, the son of the murdered MP,nwas elected as Member of Parliament and eventually became a Minister of Health.
The presidential election of 1970
In the closest and possibly most controversial presidential election in Lebanese historyHistory of Lebanon
This article deals with the history of Lebanon, and the nations previously occupying its territory.-Phoenicia:The coastal plain of Lebanon is the historic home of a string of coastal trading cities of Semitic culture, which the Greeks termed Phoenicia, whose maritime culture flourished there for...
, the National Assembly
Parliament of Lebanon
The Parliament of Lebanon is the national parliament of Lebanon. There are 128 members elected to a four-year terms in multi-member constituencies, apportioned among Lebanon's diverse Christian and Muslim denominations. Lebanon has universal adult suffrage...
elected Frangieh to the Presidency of the Republic on August 17, 1970. He owed his upset victory over Elias Sarkis
Elias Sarkis
Elias Sarkis was the President of the Lebanese Republic from 1976 to 1982.-Early career:Born in Shabbaniah, Sarkis graduated with a Law degree from Saint Joseph University in 1948. After joining the judicial corps in 1953, he became a judge with the Accounting Department...
, the official candidate of the Chehabi regime to a last minute change of mind by Kamal Jumblatt
Kamal Jumblatt
Kamal Jumblatt ; was an important Lebanese politician. He was the main leader of the anti-government forces in the Lebanese Civil War until his assassination in 1977. He is the father of the present Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt.-Family background and education:Kamal Jumblatt was born in...
, whose supporters in the Parliament switched their votes to Frangieh.
Posing as a consensus candidate, Frangieh drew support from both the right and the left and from all religious factions; his election was a backlash to the administrations of Presidents of Fuad Chehab
Fuad Chehab
Fuad Chehab Fuad Chehab Fuad Chehab (name also spelt Fouad Shihab, or Chehab, depending on transliteration from the original Arabic, (March 19, 1902 - April 25, 1973) was the President of the Lebanese Republic from 1958 to 1964...
(1958–1964) and Charles Helou
Charles Helou
Charles Helou was President of Lebanon from 1964 to 1970.Born in Beirut, Helou was the scion of a powerful Maronite family from Baabda. He graduated with honours from St. Joseph's University in Beirut in 1929, and went on to complete a Law degree in 1934...
(1964–1970) and the "Deuxième Bureau" run by the preceding two administrations of Chehab and Helou, as the opposing candidate Elias Sarkis who was head of the Banque du Liban
Banque du Liban
Banque du Liban is the central bank of Lebanon. It was established on August 1, 1963 and became fully operational on April 1, 1964. It is currently headed by Riad Salameh, who was named the Middle East's best central bank governor by Euromoney in 2005....
(Central Bank of Lebanon) was widely seen as a continuation of the earlier Chehabi regime.
There were three rounds of elections that year:
Round 1 - 99 Deputies, 5 candidates - no majority
Round 2 - 99 Deputies, 2 candidates - 50 votes each (1 fake vote found), round was negated.
Round 3 - 99 Deputies, 2 candidates, Kamal Jumblatt assigns one of his deputies to vote for Frangieh. Suleiman Frangieh becomes President legally. The events listed above as per the testimony of the late Kamal Joumblatt of his role in the vote.
Sabri Hamadeh, then Speaker of Parliament, had refused to announce the election of a President on a 1-vote difference. As Hamadeh exited parliament Michel Sassine
Michel Georges Sassine
Michel Georges Sassine is a prominent Lebanese politician.He was a member of the Lebanese parliament for twenty-four consecutive years representing the district of Ashrafieh, Beirut. He served several times as Vice-Prime Minister, Deputy Speaker of Parliament, and cabinet Minister...
, Deputy Speaker of Parliament, stepped up and exercized his powers of Deputy to announce Frangieh President.http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArchiveDetails.aspx?ID=13521 (See two additional pictures of Sassine
Michel Georges Sassine
Michel Georges Sassine is a prominent Lebanese politician.He was a member of the Lebanese parliament for twenty-four consecutive years representing the district of Ashrafieh, Beirut. He served several times as Vice-Prime Minister, Deputy Speaker of Parliament, and cabinet Minister...
announcing Sleiman Frangieh President:http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/7387/sassinefranjieh.jpg, http://img573.imageshack.us/img573/6040/michelsassinevssabriham.jpg)
The civil war years
When the Lebanese Civil WarLebanese Civil War
The Lebanese Civil War was a multifaceted civil war in Lebanon. The war lasted from 1975 to 1990 and resulted in an estimated 150,000 to 230,000 civilian fatalities. Another one million people were wounded, and today approximately 350,000 people remain displaced. There was also a mass exodus of...
began, Frangieh maintained a militia, the Marada Brigade
Marada Brigade
The Marada Movement is a Lebanese political party and a former militia active during the Lebanese civil war, named after the legendary Syriac Marada or Mardaites warriors of the early Middle Ages...
, under the command of his son Tony Frangieh
Tony Frangieh
Antoine Frangieh was a Lebanese politician and militia leader during the early years of the Lebanese Civil War.- Education and early political career :...
. He initially participated in the Lebanese Front
Lebanese Front
The Lebanese Front or Front libanais in French, also known as the "Kufur Front", was a coalition of mainly Christian parties formed in 1976, during the Lebanese Civil War...
, a right-wing, mainly Christian, coalition of politicians and militia leaders, but in early 1978 he broke with them because of his own pro-Syrian leanings. In June 1978, Tony, together with his wife and infant daughter, was assassinated by militiamen with Phalangist militia being accused of the plot. Frangieh never vowed revenge for death of his son and his family.
Frangieh remained an ally of Syria. He attempted to make a comeback in 1988, but the National Assembly failed to achieve a quorum
Quorum
A quorum is the minimum number of members of a deliberative assembly necessary to conduct the business of that group...
owing to a boycott by some Christian parliamentarians enforced by the Lebanese Forces
Lebanese Forces
The Lebanese Forces is a Lebanese political party. Founded as a militia by Bachir Gemayel during the Lebanese Civil War, the movement fought as the main militia within the Christian-dominated Lebanese Front...
militia. He died on 23 July 1992, two years after the civil war ended.
See also
----