Shimon Peres was finally elected President of Israel today, crowning the Nobel Peace laureate's 50 year political career.

The 83-year-old statesman was chosen as his country's ninth head of state by a landslide 86 votes to 23 in the second round of parliamentary voting, a result greeted by an outburst of applause. He had been the sole candidate after the other two contenders dropped out after the first round and gave their support to Mr Peres.

Wearing a white skull cap, he responded with a stirring speech vowing to unite the country.

"From this moment on, I intend to be the representative of the entire nation and I will devote myself entirely to its service," he said.

"The President's role is to embody the unity of the people."

His election to the mainly ceremonial post will mean he must step down as Ehud Olmert's deputy, and will rule him out of the running to replace his boss as prime minster if Mr Olmert is forced to quit later this summer over his handling of last year's war in Lebanon.

Mr Olmert paid tribute to him, saying that the nation had spoken. "It also wishes to make its deep appreciation for the unparalleled life of a man who has been present at every important moment in the history of the country."

Mr Peres was born in Poland and emigrated to Israel before it achieved statehood. He rose through the ranks of the Labour Party as an ally of David Ben-Gurion, the country's first prime minister.

In the late 1950s it was Mr Peres who, as director general of the defence ministry, signed a secret deal with France to start up the Israeli nuclear programme, which has reportedly given his country nuclear weapons.

He entered parliament in 1959 at the age of 36, served as prime minister from 1984 - 86, and again in 1995 after the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, his fellow Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

Rabin was murdered by an angry Israeli citizen after he signed the 1993 Oslo accords, an interim peace deal with the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat setting up limited self rule for the Palestinian territories.

In 2005 Mr Peres lost the Labour leadership and quit his party to join the new Kadima party set up by his former rival, Ariel Sharon, of Likud. Mr Sharon suffered a massive stroke last year before his party swept to power in national elections, and in the ensuing power vacuum Mr Olmert took charge with Mr Peres as his deputy.

Mr Olmert backed Mr Peres for the presidency. His victory was assured when rival candidates Colette Avital and Reuven Rivlin dropped out after the first round and urged their supporters to back Mr Peres.

He will be sworn in next month after Moshe Katsav - the then obscure Likud MP to whom Mr Peres famously lost the race for the presidency in 2000 - ends his seven-year term of office. Mr Katsav has been on gardening leave since January, his credibility irreparably damaged by the news that he is to stand trial for allegedly raping an employee and sexually assaulting several other women who worked for him.

Admired more abroad than at home, Mr Peres's supporters say that his international prestige will help to lift the presidency out of disgrace.

Israeli presidents have traditionally spoken out on key political issues, and hold talks with other world leaders, but do not have any direct involvement with policy-making.

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