There were many points of contention, but three in particular: the reign of President Emile Lahoud, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, and Hezbollah's military weapons: Lahoud, who had been president since 1998, was seen as too close to the Assad regime, an issue which became particularly important following Rafik Hariri's assassination, as Hariri had become increasingly vocal in his opposition to the regime during his last years. The Syrian regime pushed, succesfully, for a three-year renewal of Lahoud's six-year term, causing further outrage.