Parliament of Lebanon had convened amid tight security for the much-delayed session attended by 200 guests including Arab and Western dignitaries, following a deal hammered out Wednesday in Qatar between rival Lebanese politicians.

"Michel Sleiman got 118 votes and I declare him president of Lebanon," parliament speaker Nabih Berri said, as celebratory fireworks went off in the heart of Beirut.

The main challenge for Michel Sleiman, 59, will be to impose himself as a neutral figure and reconcile the Western-backed ruling coalition and the opposition, which is supported by Iran and Syria.

Bickering between the two camps had left the presidency vacant since pro-Syrian Emile Lahoud's term ended in November. Nineteen previous attempts to get lawmakers together to elect a successor failed.

On Wednesday, the rivals finally agreed at the Doha crisis talks to elect Sleiman, form a national unity government in which the opposition has veto power and draft a new electoral law for a parliamentary election due next year.

The accord came after 65 people were killed in running street battles this month in Beirut and other parts of the country between Hezbollah fighters and their allies and pro-government forces.

Source: By DDNEWS