$12,000 can't tie Franjieh down to yearlong contract

In a first of its kind turn of events, one which was not entirely unexpected however, the first runner-up in the Miss Lebanon pageant, Lamitta Franjieh, declined her title - and a cash prize of $12,000 - on Monday, saying she preferred not to be tied down by a contract.

Rony Jazzar, producer from Star Wave Productions - the company that organized the pageant with the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation (LBC) - announced Franjieh's decision during a news conference held for Miss Lebanon 2004, Nadine Njeim.

"She said she preferred not to be tied down with a year-long work contract that comes with her title," Jazzar said.

After Franjieh learned that she was the runner-up, she stormed off the stage during the live televized pageant.

During the conference, held at the Regency Palace Hotel in Adma, Njeim announced her program as Miss Lebanon 2004, saying she would focus on two topics, the environment and the elderly.

"I will be participating in awareness campaigns targeting environmental issues in Lebanon," she said. "I also plan to continue the program that former Miss Lebanon Christina Sawaya started to help the elderly in Lebanon.

"There isn't sufficient interest in this important issue, and things should be done to help ensure the dignity of old people in Lebanon," Njeim added.

Asked about her relations with Franjieh, Njeim said the two were still friends, even though Franjieh did not congratulate her after the event.

"We had good relations during our common stay at the house," she said, "but after we left, we lost contact. ... Each one of us is busy with her life."

Njeim said her experience during the Miss Lebanon journey added to her self-confidence and had helped her to build up her personality.

"I learned from the mistakes I made during my experience as a participant in the Miss Lebanon pageant this year," she said. "I do not deny that I made some mistakes, but nobody is perfect.

"Please don't forget we were under a lot of pressure."

Answering critics who said the pageant should not have allowed contestants to participate who had undergone plastic surgery, Jazzar explained that plastic surgery was an "international standard."

"Whether in the Miss World or Miss Universe pageant, plastic surgery is allowed," he said. "The Miss Lebanon pageant is no exception."

Nadine Njeim, 20, was crowned Miss Lebanon on Friday night during a Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation (LBC) live event.

Instead of offering her congratulations however, the first runner-up, Lamitta Franjieh, stormed off the stage, refusing to receive her title.

Franjieh, mistakenly thought by some to be the odds-on favorite because of a rumor that she is related to prominent Lebanese politician Suleiman Franjieh, refused to talk to reporters on her way out, saying only that she would hold a news conference shortly to explain her behavior.

Carine Bejjani, one of the participants who had been previously voted out and who excitedly cheered for Franjieh, said her second place finish was "not fair."

"Lamitta should have been crowned the queen," she said.

Njeim, a model and first-year student of Information and Documentation at the Lebanese University, was also chosen as "Miss Self-Confidence" during the pageant, while the second runner-up for the Miss Lebanon title went to Cynthia Saade, 19.

The celebration, which was sponsored by the Tourism Ministry, brought a large crowed of prominent figures from the entertainment world - such as international Lebanese music composer Gabrielle Yared - together with members of the media, political circles, and elite society in general.

The guest of honor was Lebanese singer Nawal al-Zoghbi, who sang a collection of her songs from her latest album.

The crowning of the queen, witnessed by parents and friends alike, came after the women had spent a month and a half together in one house, living the reality television experience for the competition's second consecutive year.

The show, which was hosted by former Miss Lebanon Nisrine Nasr and presenter Antoine Honein, kicked-off with the six women (10 had been voted off before the pageant) entering the gold tiara-shaped stage, smiling despite the apparent stress and tension.

After short video clips of the six talking about their aspirations and life were shown to the audience, the women promenaded with fabulous Robert Abi Nader designs, posing before the jury after answering various questions.

After going through four different tests, Njeim was chosen the winner based on a combined score from the judges' panel and the public's voting.

Unlike last year, when the public's vote constituted 50 percent of the final score, widespread complaints led to the downgrading of public opinion this year, with only 25 percent of the final mark allocated to the public.

The other 75 percent this year was based on the women's answers to questions from the eight-member jury, as well as their scores in the swimsuit and designer gown competitions.

Jury members, among them Yared, international designer Yara Lapidus, Lebanese TV director Simon Asmar, and Naseeb Gemayel, owner of Gemayel Jewelry, asked the six finalists a series of questions, some more challenging than others.

In answering one question, finalist Sandra Sayegh, told Gemayel that she "preferred to get a work contract over a diamond necklace," because work would allow her to get the diamonds latter.

"I have always said that Lebanese women rank among the most beautiful and intelligent in the world," said Lapidus, clearly ebullient over all of the women's' performances

Nadine Njeim, 20, has been elected Miss Lebanon 2004 in a nationally televised pageant that

kept most of the population mesmerized before their TV sets until midnight, the Beirut media reported on Saturday.

She was crowned under the glare of LBC cameras at the climax of a six-week Reality TV

contest that began with 16 contestants and ended up with six finalists to succeed Lebanon's

2003 beauty queen Marie-Jose Hnein.

When the choice of Nadine Njeim was formally announced, first runner up Lamitta Franjieh

stunned the audience by abruptly turning her back to the cameras and leaving the stage in a

huff. Second runner up was Cynthia Saadeh.

What do you think happen to Lamitta Franjieh? and did you find that Nadine deserve to be Miss Lebanon?!

What’s make the top 6 girls special?

Give one or more thing that makes these girls different than the others:

Aline
Cynthia
Lamita
Nadine
Nisrine
Sandra

Lets Play funny Game!!!

 who do you think the "GUEST STAR" on the final prime ?

Who do you think Miss Lebanon 2004 will be and why?

Also, who do you want to be come Miss Lebanon 2004 and why?

In your opinion who deserve Miss Personality and Miss Photogenic?  

Do you think the final four girls deserve to be in the finals? And what make them better than the four nominees?
Why do you think the judges chose the four nominees Aline, Carine, Cynthia, Sheryne?

Who do you think the next nominees will be and why?
And if you could chose the nominees then who do you pick and why?

Chucri knew about Cedra's decision and he tried to convince her of staying because she already knew the games rules...Cedra was listening carefully to Chucri's advice but Cedra called her mother to tell her about Chucri's advice... finally the decision of quitting stays the right decision to Cedra ?!

Anyway good luck for Cedra in her life

Do you think that Cedra took the right decision?