Sea of Mourners as Zahle Bids Farewell to Elias Skaff

Mourners flooded the streets of Zahle and the neighboring towns on Wednesday for the funeral of late former minister and MP Elias Skaff, who was also the head of the Popular Bloc.

A funeral mass was held at the Our Lady of Salvation Church, in the presence of former President Michel Suleiman, Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq and representatives of numerous political parties.

"He was a man of moderation," Suleiman told reporters upon his arrival in Zahle.

Mourners shot heavily into the air and launched fireworks as the coffin arrived in the Bekaa city.

The convoy had moved slowly through several Bekaa towns after taking off in the morning from the American University of Beirut Medical Center in Hamra.

It made brief stops in the town of Kahaleh outside Beirut and in the Bekaa towns of al-Mreijat, Jdita, Qob Elias, Chtaura, Saadnayel and Taalbaya, where it was received by popular delegations.

Dozens of banners were installed to salute the late Zahle leader as his pictures decorated the balconies of a lot of houses in the region.

Skaff passed away Saturday after a long battle with illness. He was 67.

The late politician was first elected an MP in the eastern Bekaa Valley in 1992 following the death of his father ex-Minister Joseph Skaff and later in 1996.

He was reelected for Zahle's Catholic seat in 2001 and 2005.

He also served as minister in several governments between 2003 and 2009.

Skaff was born in Cyprus on October 11, 1948 and spent his childhood in New Zealand with his mother where he received his primary eduction.

He returned to Lebanon at the age of 16 and continued his education at a school in Shuweifat. He graduated in 1975 from the Faculty of Agriculture at the American University of Beirut.

Skaff is survived by his wife Miriam Jebran Tawq and their two children Joseph and Jebran.

Y.R.