JISR, Samir el-

Born: Tripoli, 1944

Education: Degree in Law from the Arab University in Beirut (1969).

Profession: Lawyer. Elected in 1991 as a member of the Tripoli Bar, successively treasurer during two years and secretary for one year. Elected President of the Tripoli Bar in 1994.

Political background: Elected First President of Tripoli Social Movement. Representative and coordinator of "Al Moustaqbal" movement in North Lebanon, a national political program launched by Mr Hariri during his electoral campaign. Member of the Law Modernisation Committee. Member of the Special Committee for modernisation of rental law. Member of the Lebanese Arbitrage Council.

Appointed Minister of Justice, October 2000.

JUMBLATT, Walid

Born: 7 August, 1949. BA in Political Science; teaching diploma.

Druze leader and president of the Progressive Socialist Party. Appointed to parliament 1990; elected 1992, 1996 and 2000. Ministerial posts held: Tourism, Public Works, Minister of State, Minister for the Displaced.

• See: Parliamentary website
• Family background: Medea
• Critical profile: MEIB (May, 2001)

Born: Khiam (Marjeyoun) 1943

Education: Doctorate in Medicine from the American University of Beirut (AUB) in 1967. BA in sciences from the same university in 1962, specialized in gynaecology in 1970. Member of the Gynaecology Department at California University (UCLA) 1971. Member of surgery Department at Harvard Medical School, Guest Professor at John Hopkins University in 1973.

Profession: Head of the Gynaecology and Obstetrics Department at the American University Hospital (Beirut), since 1987. Lecturer at the American University of Beirut. Head of the Arab Scientific Committee for Medical Research (1998)

Publications: Several articles and medical lectures

Political background: Member of Parliament: Failed to win the legislative elections in 1968 for the Greek-Orthodox seat in Marjeyoun-Hasbaya (mohafazat of South Lebanon). Minister of Health in Salim Hoss government (4 Dec1998 - Oct 2000). Appointed Minister of Tourism, October 2000.

LAHOUD, Emile

Born: Baabdate, Lebanon, 1936. Son of General Jamil Lahoud (one of the founding officers of the Lebanese Army). Mother: Adrenee Bajakian. Brother: Nasri Lahoud. Married to Andree Amadouni with three children: Kareen (b 1969, married to Elias Michel Murr), Emile Jr. (b 1975), Ralph (b 1977). 

Education: College de la Sagesse (primary), Brumana High School. Naval Engineering in the United Kingdom from 1958 to 1960. NBC course in the USA 1967- 1968. Naval Staff course in the USA (Rhode Island) 1972- 1973. Naval Command College in the USA (Rhode Island) 1979- 1980.

Profession: military. Joined the Military Academy as Cadet Officer 1956. Ranks held: Ensign 1959, Lieutenant Junior Grade 1962, Lieutenant 1968, Lieutenant Commander 1974, Commander 1976, Captain 1980, Rear Admiral 1985, General, Commander of the Armed Forces 1989

Assignments: Beirut Naval Base 1959-1966; Commander of the 2nd Fleet 1966-1968; Commander of the 1st Fleet 1968-1970; Staff of the Army 4th Bureau 1970-1972; Chief of Personal Staff of the General, Commander of the Armed Forces 1973 to 1979; Director of Personnel in the Army Headquarters 1980- 1983; President of the Military Office in the Ministry of Defence 1983-1989;  General, Commander of the Armed Forces from November 28, 1989.

Publications: "Method and Style", "Month's Statement and Order of the Day", "Promise and Fulfillment", "Lectures and Speeches".

President of Lebanon since 15 October 1998.

• Presidential website: www.presidency.gov.lb
• Biographical notes: Lebanese embassy (US); Medea
• Critical profile: MEIB (November 2001)

Born: Dhour Choueir (North Metn), March 4, 1946

Education: BA in Economy from the American University, Beirut, 1967

Profession: Businessman

Political background: Co-founder and member of the "Syndicate and Popular League Union" since 1975; member of several social, political and cultural associations.

Publications: Several political and economic articles

Member of Parliament: Elected deputy in 1992, re-elected in 1996 and in 2000 for the seat of Greek Orthodox in the 2nd electoral district of Beirut (Msaitbe, Bachoura, Rmeil) on the electoral list "Beirut Al Karama" (Dignity of Beirut). Elected President of the Human Rights and Internal Regulation Parliamentary Commission in October 1995. Minister of Interior during Hariri's first government (31 Oct 1992 - 25 May 1995), Minister of Administrative Reform in Hariri's third government (7 Nov 1996 - 4 Dec 1998). Appointed Minister of State, October 2000.

• See: Parliamentary website

Born: Tripoli, November 24, 1955

Education: MA, Harvard University (1989). BA and MA, business administration, from the American University of Beirut (AUB) (1979, 1980).

Profession: businessman. Founder of "Mikati Communications" corporation (1981). Member of the board of administration of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Beirut (92-96). Member of the executive committee of the Arab-American Chamber of Commerce. Member of the board of administration of the Association of the Lebanese-Syrian Businessmen.

Political background: Member of Parliament: Elected for the first time in 2000 for the Sunni seat in Tripoli for the 2nd electoral district of the Mohafazat of North Lebanon. Minister of Transportation and Public Works in Hoss government (4 Dec 1998 - Oct 2000). Appointed Minister of Transportation and Public Works, October 2000.

Born: Magdouche (South Lebanon) September 19, 1949

Education: MD Cardiology from Montpellier University (France, 1980).

Profession: cardiologist

Political background: Member of Parliament: Elected deputy in 1992, re-elected in 1996 and 2000 for the Greek Orthodox seat in Zahrani (South Lebanon). President of the Human rights and Internal Regulation Parliamentary Committee 1996-2000. Member of the Parliamentary Office, member of health Parliamentary Committee.

Minister of Labor and Social Affairs in Hoss government (4 Dec 1998-Oct 2000). Appointed Minister of Environment, October 2000.

Born: Gaza (West Bekaa), October 17, 1942

Education: BA in Business Administration from The Arab University of Beirut, 1968. BA in Law from the Arab University in Beirut in 1972.

Profession: Businessman, owner of carpet factories in Lebanon and Brazil.

Political background: President and founder of several welfare and educational associations: "Social and Cultural Development Association" founded in 1980, Al Wafa, Al Nahda, Technical Formation Orphanage (Bekaa). Member of the Association of Arab Emigrants. Member of the Arab Cultural Club in Beirut and President of Arab Cultural Center in Bekaa.

President and founder of the Arab Socialist Union Party in 1974 (al-Ittihad al-Ishtiraki al-Arabi). Member of Parliament: Appointed in 1991, elected in 1992, re-elected in 1996 and in 2000 for the Sunni seat of West Bekaa-Rachaya, for the 3rd electoral district of the Mohafazat of Bekaa. Member of the Friendship Group: Lebanon-Brazil. Member of the parliamentary committees: National Education, Culture, Technical and Vocational Education (1996-2000). Minister of Technical and Vocational Education in the second Hariri government (25 May 1995 - 6 Nov 1996). Appointed Minister of National Education, October 2000.

Born: Btégrine (North Metn), January 30 1962. Son of Michael El Murr, former Minister of Interior and Deputy Prime Minister, son-in-law of President Emile Lahoud

Education: BA in Law from Léman Institute, Switzerland, 1982.

Profession: Lawyer, businessman. Specialised in international affairs, he practices his judicial activities in different firms in Beirut, Paris and Geneva. President. of more than twenty financial, real estate, touristic, public works, freight and media corporations in Lebanon and abroad.

Political background: Appointed Minister of Interior and Municipalities, October 2000.

NASRALLAH, Hassan 

Born: Burj Hammoud, a poor Armenian and Shi'ite neighbourhood of East Beirut, in 1960. Attended civil schools in Beirut. In 1975 his family fled the capital because of the civil war and returned to their native village of Bazoriya near Tyre, where he attended secondary school. In 1976 he went to Najaf in Iraq, one of the most venerable seats of Shi'ite theological learning, to complete the first stage of his religious education (the future Iranian leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, was residing in the city at the same time).

Expelled from Iraq, together with other Lebanese students in 1978. He then worked closely with his teacher, Abbas Moussawi (the secretary-general of Hizbullah assassinated by the Israelis in 1992), who founded a Shi'ite religious institute in Baalbek. He studied there and taught at junior level. 

By 1982, when Israel invaded Lebanon, he had become the political representative in the Beqaa Valley for the Shi'ite Amal movement. He had also travelled to the holy city of Qom in Iran.

With the establishment Hizbullah, he rose quickly through its ranks, becoming a member of the politburo. In 1992, following the assassination of Moussawi, he was elected secretary-general. [Source: al-Ahram Weekly]

• Website: http://www.nasrollah.org
• Interview: al-Ahram Weekly (2 November 2000)

Born: Zokak el Blat (Beirut) 1959. Son of Pierre Pharaon, former minister, deputy and businessman

Education: BA in economy from Saint-Joseph University in Beirut (1980). Holder of a DEA (Diploma), from Dauphine University in Paris (1981)

Profession: Businessman. Chairman of "Libano-Suisse" insurance company. Member of the board of administration of LBCI television, Member of the Greek-Catholics Supreme Council. Chairman of MEDNET Lebanon (1994-1998). Chairman of the economic weekiy magazine "Le Commerce du Levant". Member of the board of trustees and management of Patriarchal School, Beirut.

Political background: Member of Parliament: Elected deputy for the first time in 1996 and re-elected in 2000 for the seat of Greek Catholic in the 1st electoral district of Beirut (Achrafieh, Saifi, Mazraa) on the electoral list of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri - "Dignity of Beirut" (Beirut Al Karama). Spokesman of the Parliamentary Commission for Commerce, Oil and Industry. Member of the Defence and Internal Security Parliamentary Committee. Appointed Minister of State, October 2000.

• See: Parliamentary website

QANSO, Ali Khalil (Kanso)

Born: Doueir (caza Nabatiyeh) 1948

Education: BA in Arab Literature from the Lebanese University, Faculty of Education. MA in Arab Literature from the Lebanese University.

Profession: Professor of Arab Literature in the secondary school 1973-1996. Contributed in the elaboration of schoolbooks in both complementary and secondary school.

Political background: Member of the Syrian National Socialist Party since 1969, elected President in 1996, re-elected in 2000.

Appointed minister Minister of Labour, October 2000.

• See: Parliamentary website 

Born: Ain Trez (Chouf) April 3, 1941

Education: BA in Law and Political Sciences from Saint-Joseph University (1960-64). BA in History and Geography from l'Ecole des Lettres, Beirut (1965). PhD in Public Law from Saint-Joseph University in Beirut

Profession: Lawyer. Member of the Supreme Court of Justice.

Political background: Member of Parliament: Appointed deputy June 7 1991, elected in 1992; re-elected in 2000 for the Maronite seat of Baabda-Aley, in the 3rd Mount Lebanon district. Former President of the Public Works Parliamentary Committee. Former member of parliamentary Foreign Affairs and Immigrants committees.

Appointed Minister of State for Administrative Reform, October 2000.

Born: Mazraat Kfarzebian (Mount Lebanon) 1951

Education: PhD 3rd cycle in literature From Paris III University, in 1975. PhD in Political Sciences from Paris I University, in 1978. High Studies Diploma (DEA) in Law, 1974

Profession: Professor of Political Sciences at Saint-Joseph University, American University of Beirut and Paris I University. Professor-director at the Institute of Political Studies in Paris since 1988. Research Director in the CNRS Rockefeller Fellow in International Relations (1981). Guest scholar at Brookings Institute in Washington (1985-86). Member of the Commission of Social Science Research Council of New York (1985-1990). Member of the jury of Ford Foundation and Lavoisier Scholarship Co-director of the study program "State, Nation and Integration in the Arab World" (1986-1991).

Consultant and lecturer at the UN, the World Bank and the European Union. Member of the Board of Administration of the "Institut du Monde Arabe" (IMA, Paris), of the CEDEJ scientific council (Cairo) and the IRMC (Tunisia). Chair of Euro-Mediterranean studies at "L'Institut Universitaire Europeen" (IUE, Florence).

Member of the editorial committee of several academic magazines ("Critique Internationale" and "Maghreb-Machrek"). Publications: His articles are published in several foreign political magazines: La Revue Francaise de Science Politique, Foreign Policy, The Middle East Journal and Security Dialogue. His editorials are published regularly by The Washington Post, BBC, Liberation, RFI and other media.

Among his publications: "Appels d'empire: ingérences et résistances à l'âge de la mondialisation" (won the ADELF award and the Phoenix award). He also supervised several books: "Democraties sans democrates" (also published in English, Arabic and Spanish), "Proche-Orient: les exigences de la paix", "The Foundations of the Arab State or The Politics of Arab Integration".

Political background: Appointed Minister of Culture, October 2000.

Born: Saida (Sidon, South Lebanon) 1943

Education: BBA and MBA in Business administration and economy from the American University of Beirut (1967)

Profession: Lecturer at the American University of Beirut (1971-76), the Lebanese University (1975-76) at the First National City Bank training center (1971-75). Assistant Manager at the First National City Bank (1967-72). President of the Banking Control commission, Central Bank of Lebanon, 1977-1982. Chairman and General Manager of Banque de Ia Mediterranee (1983- 1992) and the Saudi Lebanese Bank (1986-1992)

Political background: Minister of State for Financial Affairs during the three Hariri governments (31 Oct 1992 - 25 May 1995), (25 May 1995 - 6 Nov 1996), (7 Nov 1996 - 4 Dec 1998). Appointed Minister of Finance, October 2000.

Born: Beirut, July 10, 1929

Education: Studied Law at Saint-Joseph University (Beirut) for two years before going to Grenoble (France) to finish his BA and PhD in 1954.

Profession: Lawyer, university professor. Lawyer since 1954 and consultant. Author of several juridical publications. Professor of law at Saint-Joseph University and the Lebanese University.

Political background: Minister of Economy and Commerce in Amine El Hafez government (23 Apr 1973 - 14 Jun 1973), Minister of Justice in charge of the administrative reform during the first Hariri government (31 Oct 1992 - 25 May 1995), Minister of Justice during the 2nd and 3rd Hariri governments (25 May 1995 - 6 Nov 1996), (7 Nov. 1996 - 4 Dec 1998). Appointed Minister of State, October 2000.