On November 24, Emile Lahoud became Lebanon's 11th president since
then nation gained independence in 1933.
Syria, who has 35,000 troops stationed in Lebanon, strongly supported Lahoud for president. Syria's backing nearly guaranteed his election.
Lebanon's constitution dictates that the president must be a Christian,
the prime minister a Sunni Muslim, and the parliament speaker a Shi'a Muslim.
Lahoud is a Maronite Catholic.
| March 14, 1978 | Israeli troops entered southern Lebanon. |
| October 8, 1998 | Lebanese Cabinet proposes amending the constitution, so
that senior civil servants will be allowed to run for president. |
| October 13, 1998 | Parliament votes to change the constitution, so that
Emile Lahoud will be able to run in the next election. Previously, the constitution had outlawed senior civil servants from becoming president within two years of leaving their post. |
| October 15, 1998 | Parliament elects Lahoud unanimously, with all 118
deputies present voting for him. |
| November 24, 1998 | General Emile Lahoud is sworn in as president, replacing
President Elias Hrawi. |
| November 30, 1998 | Prime Minister Hariri refuses to serve another term as
prime minister, claiming that President Lahoud was abusing his position as president. |
| December 3, 1998 | Salim al-Hoss is appointed Prime Minister, replacing Hariri.
December 4, 1998: Hoss announces his new cabinet, which has 16 members. It is an equal mix of Moslems and Christians, and about half the size of the previous cabinet. |
| May 23, 2000 | After 22 years of occupation, Israel removes its troops from
the nine-mile "security zone," a strip of Lebanese territory bordering Israel. |
President
Emile Lahoud
Prime Minister Salim Hoss. Also, "Selim al-Hoss"
former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Also, "Rafiq al-Hariri"
House Speaker Nabih Berri
Syrian president Assad
Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group trying to drive Israeli soldiers
out of southern Lebanon