Suleiman Frangieh (politician, born 1965)

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Sleiman Bey Frangieh II
سليمان بك فرنجية
Sleiman Frangieh 2.jpg
President of the Marada Movement
Assumed office
1992
Preceded byRobert Frangieh
Member of Parliament
In office
9 November 2009 – 23 June 2018
ConstituencyZgharta
Personal details
Born (1965-10-18) 18 October 1965 (age 55)
Zgharta, Lebanon
NationalityLebanese
Political partyMarada Movement
Spouse(s)Rima Karkafi
RelationsSuleiman Frangieh (grandfather)
Tony Frangieh
(father)
Children3
ResidenceZgharta, Lebanon
OccupationPolitician
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Suleiman Tony Frangieh (Arabic: سليمان بك فرنجية‎; born 18 October 1965) is the current leader of the Marada Movement[1] and a former Member of Parliament for the Maronite seat of Zgharta-Zawyie, in North Lebanon.

Early life[]

Suleiman was born in Zgharta, Lebanon on 18 October 1965. 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 and as such, carries his grandfather's name. Samir Frangieh was Suleiman's cousin once removed.[2]

Suleiman Frangieh's grandfather brought him to Syria after the Ehden massacre, which was perpetrated by 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.[3][4]

Political career[]

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.

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.

Suleiman Frangieh joined mourners gathered in front of Beirut's city palace to pay his final respects to Rafik 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.[5]

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 Douwaihi 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".[6]

Frangieh was one of the main contenders for the Lebanese presidential elections of 2004 (which did not occur) and 2016 and is a very likely candidate for the next presidential election expected to occur in 2022.

In addition, the party runs a website called elmarada.org which follows local and international news and keeps the audience updated 24/7.

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

Personal life[]

Suleiman is the father of two children from a first marriage with Marianne Sarkis; Tony (born 1987), who was elected to parliament in 2018 to replace his father, and Bassel (born 1992). Suleiman Frangieh has been married to since 2003 who gave birth to his daughter Vera (born 2007). He resides in Bnachii, a small town right next to his hometown of Zgharta. He is a close friend of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.[7]

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. ^ 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.
  3. ^ "Pro-Syrian Maronite perceives Sunni threat". Wikileaks. 28 March 2006. Retrieved 30 June 2012.
  4. ^ David Schenker: A New President for Lebanon?, washingtoninstitute.org 4 December 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  5. ^ "Hariri's Murder Casts Uncertain Future for Lebanon". Der Spiegel. 24 February 2005. Retrieved 5 July 2012.
  6. ^ "Pro-Assad alliance will end up victorious: Franjieh". Zawya. 25 August 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  7. ^ "MARADA's Frangieh calls for indirect negotiations with Israel". Guardiangate. 4 February 2010. Retrieved 30 June 2012.

External links[]

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