Former Lebanon warlord Samir Geagea, a staunch opponent of Syria and the Shiite movement Hezbollah, will stand for the presidency in May, his Christian Lebanese Forces party says.
Geagea, 61, was the only leader from the 1975-1990 civil war ever jailed, but was released under an amnesty in 2005 after Syria withdrew from Lebanon, ending 30 years of domination over its tiny neighbour.
Syria ended its military and political dominance under popular Lebanese and international pressure, but it continues to exert significant influence through allies, mainly Hezbollah.
Geagea is one of Hezbollah's key opponents in Lebanon, and has repeatedly demanded that the movement hand in its weapons.
He has also expressed support for the revolt against President Bashar al-Assad and denounced Hezbollah's involvement in the deadly conflict, which is now in its fourth year.
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Geagea hopes to take over from President Michel Sleiman whose six-year term ends on May 25 and who was the first head of state voted in after Syria withdrew in 2005.
Under the constitution, parliament chooses a president within a two-month period before the end of the incumbent's term.
Lebanese media have in recent weeks identified other presidential hopefuls as ex-president Amin Gemayel, MPs Boutros Harb and Robert Ghanem, who are like Geagea members of the March 14 anti-Syria movement.
Other potential candidates are Hezbollah allies Michel Aoun, a Christian leader and former army chief, and MP Suleiman Frangiyeh.
Lebanese presidents are always chosen from the Christian Maronite community.
Geagea spent 11 years in jail before being released in July 2005.
He was arrested in 1994 in connection with a deadly bomb attack on a church. He was cleared in that case but handed four death sentences that were later commuted to life imprisonment for offences committed during the civil war.
