Elias Hraoui

Elias Hraoui (Arab: إلياسهراوي) (born the September 4th 1925 and deceased the July 7th 2006), is old a president Lebanon, whose mandate lasted of 1989 with 1998.

Native of the valley of the Bekaa, Hraoui was the first president not to be originating in the country Maronite Mount-Lebanon. He was elected on November 24th, 1989, two days after the assassination of Rene Moawad, of which the mandate hardly lasted seventeen days. Whereas its mandate would have to expire in 1995, the National Assembly amended the constitution to maintain it in station for three years additional.

Hraoui was born in Hawch Al-Umara, close to Zahlé, in a family Maronite landowners. He studied with the Université Saint-Joseph with Beirut, from where he left graduate trade. Businessman having succeeded, it launched out in the vegetable export, making deal with large companies Suisse. He also was with the head of the sugar beet co-operative of the plain of the Bekaa. When its businesses of export were destroyed by the civil war which made rage of 1975 with 1990, it launched out in the oil importation.

Child of an important political family, Hraoui followed his brothers Georges and Joseph while being made elect with the Lebanese National Assembly in 1972. Of 1980 with 1982, it worked with the ministry in charge of public works under the presidency of Elias Sarkis and with the Prime Minister Chafic Wazzan. It concentrated its efforts on the construction of the bridges and the highways to connect the various parts of the country.

As president, Hraoui signed amendments with the constitution, thus formalizing the reforms envisaged by the Accord of Taëf, giving to the Muslim community a more influential place in Lebanon and more capacities. October 13rd, 1990, with the support of the Syrian army, it forced the general Michel Aoun, chief of a rival administration, to go. The May 22nd 1991 it signed the treaty of fraternity, co-operation and coordination with Syria, in which Lebanon promised not to authorize the use its territory against the Syrian interests.

The Lebanese one are divided in their opinions on Hraoui. Much appreciated its action to put an end to the action feudal militia and to put an end to the civil war which devastated the country during fifteen years. It always respected its deep conviction according to which national honesty passed above the sectarian interests, and for the peaceful coexistence beyond religious cleavages of the Lebanese factions. Some tried to make him obtain the Nobel Prize of peace. Others on the contrary, underlined the contradiction which it disarmed the Christian militia and the majority of the Moslem militia, but not the Hezbollah, Islamic resistance (which helped to make leave the Israelis the south Lebanon). Same criticisms stressed that it defended the interests of Syria and showed the treaty of co-operation to ratify the colonization of Lebanon by Syria. It was also criticized to have amended the constitution to prolong its three years mandate; the former president Amine Gemayel said, at this time there, whom such a decision (which it reproached for being taken “with goes-quickly”) still weakened the fragile constitution by creating one precede that its successor, Emile Lahoud, will follow (at the request of Syria) in 2004, prolonging to him also its mandate three years.

Hraoui married Mona Jammal and have three wire and two girls, it is deceased of a cancer in 2006 at the American hospital of Beirut.

External bonds

Elias Hrawi biography (contains many inaccuracies)
Elias Hrawi biography one MEDEA.be (precise; information comes from the Lebanese embassy with Washington, D.C)

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