Elias Sarkis
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His Excellency Elias Sarkis إلياس سركيس OM, ONC |
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|---|---|
| 6th President of Lebanon | |
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In office 23 September 1976 – 22 September 1982 |
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| Prime Minister | |
| Preceded by | Suleiman Frangieh |
| Succeeded by | Bachir Gemayel |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Elias Youssef Sarkis July 20, 1924 Shabaniyeh, Lebanon |
| Died | 27 June 1985 (aged 60) Paris |
| Resting place | Shabaniyeh |
| Nationality | Lebanese |
| Political party | Chabbanist |
| Alma mater | Saint Joseph University |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Religion | Maronite Christian |
Elias Youssef Sarkis (20 July 1924 – 27 June 1985) (Arabic: إلياس سركيس) was a lawyer and the sixth President of Lebanon, whose tenure lasted from 1976 to 1982.
Elias Sarkis was born in Shbaniyeh, a mixed Christian-Muslim mountain village, to a shopkeeping family on 20 July 1924. His family was Maronite Christian.
Sarkis attended to Shbaniyeh School and Frères School in Beirut. He began to work as a railway clerk during his university education, and then, graduated with a law degree from Saint Joseph University in 1948.
After graduation, Sarkis worked as a lawyer for three years. Next, he became protege of Lebanese army commander Fuad Chehab who would be the Lebanese president in 1958. Sarkis was then appointed magistrate of the court of accounts and then, director general of the chamber of the presidency of the Republic in 1953. Later, he was appointed governor of the central bank of Lebanon in 1968 and his tenure lasted for 9 years. His appointment was upon the request of then-president Charles Helou, who asked him to reorganize the Lebanese banking systems facing a bank crisis in 1968.
Sarkis contested the presidential election of 1970 as Chehab's protégé and was expected to win, but he was defeated by Suleiman Frangieh by a single vote.
Sarkis was, however, elected President for six-year term on 8 May 1976, while the Lebanese Civil War was raging. His election as president was thought to occur under the pressure from the Syrians. In other words, he was a candidate of Damascus and preferred president of late Hafez Assad.
The election was held in the Versailles-style Esseily Villa, a private residence in Southeastern Beirut, since The National Assembly building was not safe due to ongoing attacks and battle. Sixty-six members of the Assembly elected him president on 8 May 1976. On the other hand, twenty-nine members of the Assembly boycotted the session. These members were among leftist and Palestinian groups. His sworn ceremony could not also be held at the Assembly, and he had to sworn at a hotel in the eastern city Shtaura, 25 miles from Beirut. Sarkis could move to office four months after his election on 23 September 1976, since former President Frangieh objected at first to leave office. Sarkis could appoint Salim Hoss as prime minister in December 1976.
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