Suleiman Tony Franjieh (Arabic سليمان فرنجيه) , born on November 18, 1965 in Zgharta, Lebanon is the current leader of the Marada Movement and a Member of Parliament for the Maronite Catholic seat of Zgharta-Zawyie, in North Lebanon. He is the son of former minister Tony Franjieh who was assassinated in 1978 and grandson of the former Lebanese President Suleiman Frangieh and as such, carries his grandfather's name.

Suleiman is the father of two children from a first marriage with Marianne Sarkis; Tony (1987) and Bassel (1992). Suleiman Fragieh Jr. has been married to Rima Karkafi since 2003 who has given birth to his daughter Vera (2007). He resides in Bnachii, a small town right next to his home town of Zgharta

[edit] Political career

Suleiman Franjieh's political career began when he was 17-years old in 1982, he became leader of the Marada Brigades. The party disbanded it's militia to become a political group following the disbanded of armed militias after the Taef agreement was passed. Marada began to participate in social, cultural, education, health and political affairs.

He entered the Parliament for the first time on June 7, 1991 and was then the youngest MP. He was elected for three successive mandates in 1992, 1996 and 2000 and ranked first in the caza of Zgharta- Zawiah in the three aforementioned electoral sessions despite the different prevailing electoral laws: the goveranorate basis in 1992 and 1996 and the intermediate circonscription in 2000. He was candidate to the Maronite seat in the caza of Zgharta in the second circonscription in the north during the elections of June 2005. He ranked first in the cazas of Zgharta, Koura and Batroun but did not win the elections which took place on the basis of the 2000 electoral law.

He was in charge of the following ministries:

24/12/1990- 10/5/1992 State Minister in the government of Rachid Karame

16/5/1992- 30/10/1992 Minister of Housing and Cooperatives in the government of Rachid Solh

31/10/1992- 25/5/1995 Minister of Municipalities and Rural Affairs in the government of late the martyr Rafic Hariri

7/11/1996- 3/12/1998 Minister of Public Health in the government of late the martyr Rafic Hariri

4/12/1998- 25/10/2000 Minister of Agriculture and Housing in the government of Salim El Hoss

26/10/2000- 15/4/2003 Minister of Public Health in the government of late the martyr Rafic Hariri

17/4/2003- 26/10/2004 Minister of Public Health in the government of late the martyr Rafic Hariri

26/10/2004- 19/4/2005 Minister of the Interior and Municipalities in the government of Omar Karame

During the Lebanese Parliamentary Elections of June 7 2009, Suleiman Frangieh was elected again for the fourth time as a Member of Parliament for the seat of Zgharta-Zawyieh. He won the seat along with his two running partners Estephan Douwaihi and Salim Karam. The Karam and Douwaihi families have throughout modern Lebanese history produced politicians that represented Zgharta in the Lebanese Parliament.Together, these three politicians, along with the addition of MP Emile Rahme, formed the 'Free and Unified Lebanon' bloc of the Lebanese Parliament.

The seat of Zgharta was intensely contested between Frangieh and Michel Mouawad, son of slain former President Rene Mouawad and former MP Nayla Mouawad, in which the latter was defeated.

[edit] External links

• Marada Official Site
• Marada Movement Australia Site (English)

Lebanon

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Lebanon

Constitution President Michel Suleiman Prime Minister Saad Hariri Current government Parliament Speaker Political parties Elections Governorates Districts Municipalities Foreign relations

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