Ninety members voted for Berri, 37 cast blank protest votes, and one vote went to Bassem Sabaa, an anti-Syrian lawmaker. The ballots were cast anonymously, as each of the 128 members of parliament wrote down their selection on a piece of paper, folded it up, and dropped it in a box. Once all the ballots were collected, each individual ballot was read out loud.

Ninety of the 128 legislators voted for Nabih Berri in a secret ballot. Another 37 lawmakers cast blank votes in what was seen as a protest against Berri. One vote went to Bassem Sabaa, an anti-Syrian lawmaker.

After the balloting, the eldest legislator, Edmond Naim, 87, announced the result: "I declare president Nabih Berri president of the parliament."

"I pledge to work tirelessly for the accomplishment of the people's aspirations and for the consolidation of the citizens in their state, not in the regime," Berri said in a speech upon his reelection, vowing to shield Hizbollah as an anti-occupation resistance movement against international pressure to disarm it by force.

Saad Hariri's 38-member bloc, the biggest in the new parliament, voted for Berri on the grounds of a pledge he made to Hariri to work for political, economic and financial reforms. Berri also vowed to arrange for a parole bill to release Lebanese Forces commander Samir Geagea from Jail before the end of July. But Saad's Christian allies of Qornet Shahwan and the LF abstained from voting for Berri, casting instead a total of 14 white ballots.

Walid Jumblatt's 14-member bloc also voted for Berri along with Hizbollah's 13-strong grouping and Berri's own 15-member supporters as well as more than 10 non-partisans.

Gen. Aoun's 21-member bloc cast blank protest ballots, as did three other non-partisan legislators.

The elections were won by groups that opposed Syria's role but they had little choice but to back Berri after his alliance with the Hizbollah guerrilla group won over 80 percent of the Shi'ite vote.

That made it difficult for parliament to replace him without appearing to defy the will of a large segment of the Lebanese. Western diplomats had said they hoped Berri would be removed to allow Lebanon a fresh start without the Syrians.

The legislators clapped loudly for Berri, who has been speaker since 1992 and is the leader of the Shiite Amal party.

Outside the parliament, fireworks and gunfire reverberated across Beirut.

The next step is for members of the Parliament to elect a prime minister.

Three names are being mentioned as likely prime ministers: former finance minister Fuad Saniora, former justice minister Bahij Tabbara and the current caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, a pro-Syrian who is seen as a compromise candidate. Saniora and Tabbara are close to Saad Hariri, a leader of the coalition and the son of slain former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

Sources: Ya Libnan, AP, Reuters, Naharnet