BEIRUT - President Emile Lahoud, whose mandate will expire on November 24, will leave office after he has served all of a mandate which includes a controversially extended three-year term since 2004.

Described by most of his opponents as 'Syria's ruler in Lebanon or puppet,' Lahoud has stood firm in the face of the anti-Syrian ruling majority, insisting on serving his term 'up to the final minute.'

Lahoud was not only attacked by local opponents but - since the 2005 assassination of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, blamed on Lahoud's close allies, the Syrians - was snubbed by most foreign officials, notably the Americans, French, British and Germans.

Lahoud was renowned for his strong backing of the resistance - the Shiite Lebanese militant movement, Hezbollah. Posters were erected near the southern suburbs of Beirut, Hezbollah's hotbed, proclaiming 'in our term we managed to defeat Israel.'

The 71-year-old former army commander is described by his political opponents as a sportsman who 'likes to spend time on the beach tanning rather then working politics.'

He was elected president in 1998 and had been due to step down in 2004. However, the country's then powerbroker Syria pushed through parliament a controversial constitutional amendment extending his term by three years.

Since 1990, the Lebanese constitution has been amended for every presidential election: once in 1995, allowing then President Elias Hrawi an extra three years, and again in 1998 - allowing Lahoud, who was army commander at the time and be eligible, to seek the post.

When he was first elected he promised to establish a state of law and to put an end to endemic corruption in public life.

The United States and other countries objected to continued Syrian interference in Lebanese affairs, and the United Nations Security Council passed resolution 1559 calling for non-interference in Lebanese affairs, the disarming of militias and a Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon in accordance with previous UN resolutions

The head of the Maronite church, Cardinal Nasrallah Butros Sfeir, also strongly opposed his re-election.

Lahoud was born on 12 January 1936. He hails from the mountain town of Baabdat, east of Beirut. He comes from a Maronite family that has produced cabinet ministers, MPs, military men and magistrates.

His mother and wife are both Armenian and he has three children. His eldest son was a member of parliament between 2000 and 2005.

Lahoud entered Lebanese politics after a long career in the army which began with military academy in 1956.

He was promoted to commander in the 1970s and held several senior positions at the defence ministry before becoming commander-in-chief of the army in November 1989.

He became well respected after he managed to reunite and build up the Lebanese army following the end of the 1975-1990 civil war.

But Lahoud did not take steps to send the army to the south until 2006, after Israel ended its 33-day of war on Lebanon.

His troops took part in the October 1990 Syrian-led military offensive that ended the rebellion of then-prime minister General Michel Aoun, who was later forced into exile in France.

After Aoun returned from exile in 2005, the two erstwhile enemies ended in the same opposition camp, headed by Hezbollah.

Most of the now ruling anti-Syrian majority headed by the son of the late Hariri has boycotted Lahoud after Lahoud's four generals were accused of having a hand in the Hariri murder and were put in jail by a UN commission heading the investigation in the Hariri case.

He in turn has refused to recognise the legitimacy of Prime Minister Foaud Seniora's government following the November resignation of six pro-Syrian ministers.

Lebanon has been in political deadlock since the February 2005 murder of Rafik Hariri, which forced Syria to end its almost 30-year military presence in the country. -DPA