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Written by General Editor
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Fouad Siniora
Lebanon's new prime minister-designate Fouad Siniora was the right-hand man in business and politics of the slain ex-premier Rafik Hariri for more than 20 years.
The friendship between the two men, who shared a strong anti-Syrian stance, dated back 45 years.
He served in all five of Mr Hariri's cabinets, from 1992 to 2004, first as minister of state then finance minister.
And it was Mr Hariri's son and political heir Saad who nominated him for his new role.
Former lecturer
Mr Siniora was born in 1943.
Like Mr Hariri, he grew up in the southern coastal city of Sidon in a Sunni Muslim family.
He attended the American School for Boys in Sidon and the American University of Beirut, where he gained an MBA. He speaks fluent English.
Mr Siniora's business career has been in banking and finance. He held a senior position in the Central Bank of Lebanon from 1977 to 1982.
He then joined Mr Hariri's growing business empire, running his financial interests. He is currently the chairman and managing director of Groupe Mediterranee - which encompasses four Hariri-owned banks.
During the 1970s he also lectured at the American University of Beirut and the Lebanese University.
Dealing with debt
As acting finance minister in 1995, he took steps to deal with a shortfall in the state budget, caused by servicing the country's debt and the public sector wage bill.
But his critics blamed him for exacerbating the problem, helping the country's debt balloon to its current figure of $35bn.
In 1998, when Mr Hariri was out of office, an inquiry was launched into allegations he had removed documents from the finance ministry - part of wider accusations of corruption and financial mismanagement.
He dismissed the rumours as "nothing but dust that will vanish in the end". The campaign against him is said to have been encouraged by Lebanese President Emile Lahoud.
In February 2000 he faced an investigation over claims he had allocated state funds for a waste recycling plant that was never built.
But in 2003, he was cleared of all charges.
His interests include a passion for Arab literature and writing poetry.
He is married with three children.
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