List of Presidents of Lebanon

President of the Lebanese Republic
Presidential Seal
Incumbent Tammam Salam Acting since 25 May 2014
Style	His/Her Excellency
Residence	Baabda Palace
Term length	6 years
Inaugural holder	Bechara El Khoury 22 November 1943
Formation	Constitution of Lebanon 23 May 1926
Website	Presidency of the Lebanese Republic

This is a list of Presidents (and acting Presidents) of Lebanon since the creation of the office in 1926.

The president is largely a ceremonial and symbolic post. Nevertheless, the president is still able to exercise influence on policy making and has the role, in conjunction with the prime minister, of choosing ministers in the Government and safeguarding the constitution.

National Pact

Though it is not specifically stated in the constitution, an unwritten understanding known as the National Pact, agreed in 1943, has resulted in the holder of the post being a Maronite Christian in every electoral cycle since that time. This agreement had to be suspended three times, when three Sunni Muslims, the Prime Ministers had to step in as Acting Presidents, Selim Hoss in 1988, Fouad Siniora in 2007 and Tammam Salam in 2014.

Presidents

Key
—	Acting president.
	National Bloc
	Kataeb Party
	Constitutional Party
	National Liberal Party
	Chehabist
	Marada Movement
	Military
	Independence Movement
	Future Movement

№	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	Political party		Note(s)
1		Charles Debbas شارل دباس (1885–1935)	1 September 1926	2 January 1934	Independent		—
—		Antoine Privat-Aubouard أنطوان أوبوار	2 January 1934	30 January 1934	Independent		—
2		Habib Pacha Es-Saad حبيب باشا السعد (1867–1942)	30 January 1934	20 January 1936	Independent		—
3		Émile Eddé إميل أده (1886–1949)	20 January 1936	4 April 1941	National Bloc		—
—		Pierre-Georges Arlabosse بيار جورج أرلابوس	4 April 1941	9 April 1941	Independent		—
4		Alfred Georges Naccache ألفرد جورج النقاش (1887–1978)	9 April 1941	18 March 1943	Kataeb Party		—
—		Ayoub Tabet أيوب ثابت (1884–1951)	19 March 1943	21 July 1943	Independent		—
5		Petro Trad بيترو طراد (1876–1947)	22 July 1943	21 September 1943	Independent		—
6		Bechara Khoury بشارة الخوري (1890–1964)	21 September 1943	11 November 1943	Constitutional Party		—
№	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	Political party		Note(s)
—		Émile Eddé إميل أده (1886–1949)	11 November 1943	22 November 1943	National Bloc		—
6		Bechara Khoury بشارة الخوري (1890–1964)	22 November 1943	18 September 1952	Constitutional Party		—
—		Fuad Chehab فؤاد شهاب (1902–1973)	18 September 1952	22 September 1952	Independent		—
7		Camille Chamoun كميل شمعون (1900–1987)	23 September 1952	22 September 1958	National Liberal Party		—
8		Fuad Chehab فؤاد شهاب (1902–1973)	23 September 1958	22 September 1964	Independent		Chehab served as the Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces from 1945 to 1958.
9		Charles Helou شارل حلو (1913–2001)	23 September 1964	22 September 1970	Chehabist		—
10		Suleiman Frangieh سليمان فرنجية (1910–1992)	23 September 1970	22 September 1976	Marada Movement		—
11		Elias Sarkis إلياس سركيس (1924–1985)	23 September 1976	22 September 1982	Chehabist		—
(-)		Bachir Gemayel بشير الجميل (1947–1982)	23 August 1982	14 September 1982	Kataeb Party		Gemayel was assassinated prior to taking office, during the Lebanese Civil War.
12		Amine Gemayel أمين الجميل (1942–)	23 September 1982	22 September 1988	Kataeb Party		Brother of Bachir Gemayel.
—		Selim Hoss سليم الحص (1929–)	22 September 1988	5 November 1989	Independent		Disputed: Dismissal as prime minister on 22 September 1988 contested.
—		Michel Aoun ميشال عون (1935–)	22 September 1988	23 October 1990	Military		Disputed: Appointment as prime minister on 22 September 1988 contested.
13		René Moawad رينيه معوض (1925–1989)	5 November 1989	22 November 1989	Independence Movement		Moawad was assassinated during the Lebanese Civil War.
—		Selim Hoss سليم الحص (1929–)	22 November 1989	24 November 1989	Independent		—
14		Elias Hrawi إلياس الهراوي (1926–2006)	24 November 1989	24 November 1998	Independent		—
15		Émile Lahoud إميل لحود (1936–)	24 November 1998	24 November 2007	Independent		Lahoud served as the Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces from 1989 to 1998.
—		Fouad Siniora فؤاد السنيورة (1943–)	24 November 2007	25 May 2008	Future Movement (March 14 Alliance)		—
16		Michel Suleiman ميشال سليمان (1948–)	25 May 2008	25 May 2014	Independent		Suleiman served as the Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces from 1998 to 2008.
—		Tammam Salam تمّام سلام (1945–)	25 May 2014	Incumbent	Independent		—

Living former Presidents

Name	Term of office	Date of birth	Political party
Amine Gemayel	1982–1988	22 January 1942	Kataeb Party
Émile Lahoud	1998–2007	12 January 1936	Independent
Michel Suleiman	2008–2014	21 November 1948	Independent

See also

• List of Prime Ministers of Lebanon
• List of Speakers of the Parliament of Lebanon
• Lists of incumbents

References