Lebanon's parliament elected army chief Michel Suleiman as head of state Sunday, reviving paralyzed state institutions after an 18-month standoff between a US-backed Cabinet and the Hezbollah-led opposition. President Suleiman appealed for unity after his election. “Let us unite... and work towards a solid reconciliation,” the 59-year-old former army chief said after being sworn in following his election by parliament. “We have paid dearly for our national unity. Let us preserve it hand-in-hand.” Suleiman urged a “calm dialogue” on a national defense strategy that would draw on the “capacities of the resistance” - apparently suggesting the eventual integration of Hezbollah's fighters into Lebanese security forces. Suleiman also urged dialogue, criticizing a political discourse based on “accusations of treachery” which had “paved the way to divergence and discord, especially among youth.” The election was welcomed by the international community led by US President George W. Bush who gave his staunch backing to the Sunni-led government. The election was part of a deal brokered by Qatar last week to defuse a crisis that had swept Lebanon to the brink of civil war, with Hezbollah briefly seizing parts of Beirut and routing government partisans. At least 81 people were killed. Qatar's Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani was among scores of dignitaries in Beirut for the vote. The many foreign ministers in attendance included those of Saudi Arabia, Iran and Syria. “I declare General Michel Suleiman president of the republic,” Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said after Suleiman won 118 votes out of 127 MPs in the chamber. Celebratory shots were fired into the air and fireworks lit up the sky as crowds of people, cheering and waving Lebanese flags, poured into the streets across Lebanon, including Beirut and Suleiman's hometown of Amsheet. After Suleiman was sworn in, the government of Prime Minister Fuad Siniora resigned in line with the constitution but will stay on in a caretaker role. UN chief Ban Ki-moon expressed hope the vote will lead to the “revitalization of all of Lebanon's constitutional institutions and a return to political dialogue.” Syrian state television said it was a “historic occasion,” noting that it coincided with the eighth anniversary of Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon after 22 years of occupation. Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, said: “Attaining calm and security in this country is attaining calm and security on the level of the region as a whole.”
