France's incumbent President Jacques Chirac escorts newly-elected President Nicolas Sarkozy (L) as he leaves the Elysee Palace after a join meeting with Lebanon's parliamentary majority leader Saad Hariri in Paris May 10, 2007. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

    PARIS, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Nicolas Sarkozy was officially proclaimed president of France on Thursday by Jean-Louis Debre, the president of French constitutional council, according to official sources.

    Debre, who also announced the final results of the French presidential elections, declared "consequently, the constitutional council proclaims Nicolas Sarkozy as the president of Republic of France."

    During the run-off held on May 6, Sarkozy garnered 18,983,138 votes which represents 53.06 percent of the votes cast, against 16,790,440, or 46.94 percent obtained by Socialist candidate Segolene Royal, Debre declared at the council's headquarter in Paris.

    Sarkozy can therefore assume his official duties as president for a five-year term.

    According to the presidential office, the handing-over ceremony between president-elect Sarkozy and the outgoing president Jacques Chirac is scheduled to take place on Wednesday May 16 when Chirac's term ends.

    The outgoing president held his last cabinet meeting of his second five-year term at the presidential palace on Wednesday. Chirac has chaired about 600 cabinet meetings in 12 years.