WRAP Lebanon elects army chief as president; ADDS family watching

SHOTLIST POOL Beirut 1. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri walking into parliamentary session 2. Wide of members of parliament taking seats AP Television Yarzeh 3. Lebanon's new President Michel Suleiman at home, flanked by his mother (on left) and wife (on right) ahead of parliament's vote 4. Close of Suleiman amidst supporters, leaving his residence for the parliament POOL Beirut 5. Wide of parliament floor 6. Ballots being distributed to members of parliament for vote on election of army chief General Michel Suleiman as president 7. Wide pan of officials including Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa and Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora 8. Ballots being cast, Druze leader Walid Jumblatt voting, as his name is called out 9. Wide of parliament floor 10. Opposition leader Michel Aoun voting UPSOUND of his name being called out 11. Wide of members of parliament casting votes as their names are called out 12. Saad Hariri and Bahia Hariri, son and sister of assassinated former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri , voting 13. Ballot box being taken up to Berri and he casts his vote 14. Berri and other officials counting out the votes 15. SOUNDBITE (Arabic): Nabih Berri, Parliament Speaker: "The General Michel Suleiman has received 118 votes. I pronounce him President of the Republic of Lebanon." 16. Various wide shots of lawmakers and international dignitaries applauding AP Television Yarzeh 17. Pan from television screen to Suleiman's family watching vote 18. Suleiman's mother watching vote 19. Family members applauding and cheering as vote results are announced 20. Suleiman's wife and daughter hugging and crying 21. Suleiman's wife hugging his mother AP Television Aamchit 22. Wide of crowds in street celebrating, waving Lebanese flags, zoom in to Suleiman's son and brother being carried on the shoulders of supporters UPSOUND: Music 23. Suleiman's daughter being carried on the shoulders of supporters UPSOUND: Music 24. Wide of crowd celebrating UPSOUND: Music POOL Beirut 25. Suleiman marching with honour guard outside parliament building, salutes honour guard then walks into building 26. Suleiman entering parliament hall UPSOUND: Applause 27. Suleiman taking seat next to Berri 28. Cutaway wide of lawmakers 29. Berri presenting Suleiman as President of Lebanon 30. Lawmakers applauding 31. Suleiman and Berri shaking hands 32. Standing ovation from lawmakers and dignitaries 33. Suleiman taking oath 34. Lawmakers applauding STORYLINE Lebanon's parliament elected army commander General Michel Suleiman as president Sunday in a long-delayed vote that was a key step toward restoring political stability. The general was greeted by a standing ovation from lawmakers and visiting dignitaries, as he arrived to be sworn in as the country's president. Celebratory gunfire reverberated across the capital Beirut as news of Suleiman's election was announced, and hundreds broke out in cheers and dancing in the main square as they watched the vote on a giant screen. The Hezbollah-led opposition and Western-backed government agreed last week to elect Suleiman as part of their deal to end an 18-month political crisis. The presidential vote had been postponed 19 times since November when the last president, Emile Lahoud, left office. Suleiman, a compromise candidate, ran unopposed. He won 118 votes of the 127 living members of the legislature, according to parliament speaker Nabih Berri. There were six blank ballots. Hariri's son and sister were among the lawmakers in parliament on Sunday. for the post. But Berri rejected their requests. The voting in secret ballot got under way shortly after the objections were raised. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/bb9dc1289f0a9167c8a3255b7839652b Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork