Elias Hrawi
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His Excellency Elias Hrawi الياس الهراوي OM, ONC |
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Elias Hrawi's Presidential portrait, 1989
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| 9th President of Lebanon | |
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In office 24 November 1989 – 23 November 1998* |
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| Prime Minister |
Selim Hoss Rafic Hariri |
| Preceded by | Selim Hoss (Acting) |
| Succeeded by | Émile Lahoud |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
September 4, 1926 Zahlé, Greater Lebanon |
| Died | 7 July 2006 (aged 79) Beirut, Lebanon |
| Nationality | Lebanese |
| Political party | Independent |
| Spouse(s) | Mona Jammal |
| Children | George (1st wife), Roy, Roland, Rina, Zalfa |
| Alma mater | Saint Joseph University |
| Profession | Businessman, lawyer, politician |
| Religion | Maronite Church |
| *Hrawi's term was disputed by Michel Aoun until 13 October 1990. | |
Elias Hrawi (Arabic: الياس الهراوي, 4 September 1926 - 7 July 2006) was a President of Lebanon, whose term of office ran from 1989 to 1998.
Hrawi was born in Hawch Al Umara, Zahlé, to a wealthy landowning Maronite family in the Bekaa Valley on 4 September 1925. He was the son of Khalil Hrawi and Helena Harb. He obtained a diploma in commerce at the Sagesse Institute in 1947. He enrolled at St Joseph University, Faculty of Law but did not complete his studies there.
Hrawi dealt with agriculture until he became a member of Lebanon Parliament in 1972. A successful businessman, Hrawi started a vegetable export business, dealing with major Swiss companies. He also headed the Beqaa sugarbeet cooperative. When his export business was destroyed by the civil war that raged from 1975 to 1990, he switched his line of business to oil importing.
The scion of a politically prominent family, Hrawi followed his brothers Georges and Joseph when he was elected to the National Assembly in 1972. From 1980 to 1982, he served in the cabinet as minister of public works under President Elias Sarkis and Prime Minister Shafik Wazzan. He concentrated on building bridges and highways to link all parts of the country.
Hrawi was a member of the independent Maronite Catholic bloc in the Parliament. The bloc included nine Maronite Catholic legislators who aimed at clearing the Christian militias and maintaining positive relationships with both the Muslims and Syria.
Hrawi was elected at the Park Hotel in Chtoura by 47 out of 53 member of parliaments on 24 November 1989 two days after the murder of Lebanon's President René Mouawad. Five of PMs cast blank ballots in the election. As President, Hrawi signed into law amendments to the Constitution that formalized the Taif Agreement reforms, giving a greater measure of power and influence to Lebanon's Muslim community than before.
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