Suleiman Frangieh (politician, born 1965)

Suleiman Antoine Frangieh (Arabic: سليمان بك فرنجية; born 18 October 1965) is a Lebanese politician. He is the incumbent leader of the Marada Movement,[1] and a former Member of Parliament for the Maronite seat of Zgharta-Zawyie, in North Lebanon. He is a candidate for the 2022–2023 Lebanese presidential election.

In this Lebanese name, the father's name is Antoine and the family name is Frangieh.
Suleiman Frangieh
سليمان بك فرنجية
Leader of the Marada Movement
Assumed office
20 August 1990
Preceded byRobert Frangieh
Member of Lebanese Parliament
In office
20 June 2009 – 15 May 2018
ConstituencyZgharta
In office
7 June 1991 – 20 June 2005
ConstituencyZgharta
Minister of Interior and Municipalities
In office
26 October 2004 – 19 April 2005
Prime MinisterOmar Karami
Preceded byElias Murr
Succeeded byHassan Sabeh
Personal details
Born (1965-10-18) 18 October 1965
Zgharta, Lebanon
Political partyMarada Movement
SpouseRima Karkafi
RelationsSuleiman Frangieh (grandfather)
Tony Frangieh
(father)
Children3
Residence(s)Zgharta, Lebanon
OccupationPolitician
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Early life

Suleiman was born in Zgharta, Lebanon on 18 October 1965 into the Frangieh family, a prominent Lebanese political family who claim descent from Franks that settled in Lebanon during the Crusades.[2] He is the son of the late Tony Frangieh, who was assassinated in the Ehden massacre in 1978, and grandson of the former Lebanese President Suleiman Frangieh. Samir Frangieh was Suleiman's cousin once removed.[3]

Lebanese civil war

Suleiman Frangieh's grandfather brought him to Syria after the Ehden massacre, which was perpetrated by the rival Maronite Kataeb Party militia forces. In Syria, Suleiman was taken under the wing of Bassel Assad, eldest son of the Syrian President. His friendship with the Al Assad family has remained close since then.[4]

Suleiman Frangieh's military career began when he was 17 years old. In 1982, he became leader of the Marada Brigades. The militia later disbanded to become a political group following the Taif Agreement. Marada began to participate in social, cultural, educational, health and political affairs.

Political career

He was appointed to Parliament for the first time on 7 June 1991 to fill his late father's seat and was then the youngest MP. He was subsequently elected for three successive terms in 1992, 1996 and 2000. In the 1996 Rafic Hariri cabinet Frangieh served as Minister of Health.[5]

Suleiman Frangieh joined mourners gathered in front of Beirut's city palace to pay his final respects to Rafic Hariri who was killed by a bomb on 14 February 2005. His presence made many uneasy, since it was his ministry that was overseeing the investigation into Hariri's assassination.[6]

During the Lebanese Parliamentary Elections of 7 June 2009, Suleiman Frangieh was elected as a Member of Parliament for the seat of Zgharta-Zawyieh after he had lost that seat in the 2005 elections. He won the seat along with his two running partners Estephan Douaihy and Salim Bey Karam. Together, these three politicians, along with the addition of MP Emile Rahme, formed the 'Free and Unified Lebanon' bloc in the Lebanese Parliament.

In August 2012, Frangieh commented on the Syrian civil war stating that the pro-Assad coalition would win the war and gave his full support to the Syrian government. Frangieh also added that he opposes the "negative neutrality" which is "pretending to be neutral while arms are smuggled from Lebanon to Syria". He called the "negative neutrality" a "conspiring against Syria".[7]

He did not run for re-election in the 2018 and 2022 General elections. His son, Tony, succeeded him in the Parliament.

References
  1. Deputy Premier Meets Lebanese Parliament Member Sleiman Frangieh. Archived 14 September 2012 at archive.today Qatar News Agency. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  2. Purkis, William (11 April 2017). "The County of Tripoli (1109–1289)". Bearers of the Cross. University of Birmingham. Even in the modern age, Lebanese Christians have proudly claimed crusader ancestry, with the Maronite surname 'Frangieh' believed to mean 'Frankish'.
  3. Dominique Avon; Anaïs-Trissa Khatchadourian; Jane Marie Todd (10 September 2012). Hezbollah: A History of the "Party of God". Harvard University Press. p. 200. ISBN 978-0-674-06752-3. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
  4. David Schenker: A New President for Lebanon?, washingtoninstitute.org 4 December 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  5. Middle East International No 538, 22 November 1996; Publishers Lord Mayhew, Dennis Walters MP; George Trendle p.14
  6. "Hariri's Murder Casts Uncertain Future for Lebanon". Der Spiegel. 24 February 2005. Retrieved 5 July 2012.
  7. "Pro-Assad alliance will end up victorious: Franjieh". Zawya. 25 August 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
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