Lebanese parliament elects army chief as president after two years deadlock

The Lebanon parliament has elected army chief Joseph Aoun president, ending a two-year political stalemate and presidential vacuum.

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Mr Aoun was declared the election winner on Thursday after two rounds of voting, securing 99 votes out of a total of 128 – the entire parliament membership.

This outcome followed extensive efforts by Saudi Arabia and the United States to garner support for Mr Aoun and 12 unsuccessful attempts by the parliament to find a successor after the former president, Michel Aoun, left office in October 2022.

In Lebanon, the president is elected by parliament, with candidates competing for support among political blocs and members of parliament (MPs) rather than the Lebanese electorate.

The Lebanese parliament consists of 128 MPs, and to win, a candidate must secure a majority of at least 86 votes.

The parliament in Beirut, the country’s capital, erupted in celebration when the army chief reached the required 86 votes.

In his acceptance speech, Mr Aoun declared his administration the arrival of a new era for Lebanon, pledging to address the country’s complex economic and political challenges.

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“A new phase in the history of Lebanon begins today,” Al-Jazeera quoted him as having said.

He also vowed to monopolise weapons under the authority of the state.

The 60-year-old is the fifth Lebanon army commander to become president and the fourth in a row.

The conflict between Israel and Lebanon

With his election as president, the army chief is expected to oversee the implementation of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group.

This agreement, backed by the US, France, and Saudi Arabia, was reached on 27 November, six weeks ago, halting 14 months of fighting between both parties.

PREMIUM TIMES reports that although Lebanon and Israel have a long history of conflict, the recent violence began in October 2023 when Hezbollah attacked Israel to deter the country from its war on Gaza, which has killed at least 41,500 people.

Since then, the Islamist militant group has been trading attacks across the southern Lebanese border with Israel.

In Lebanon, 97,000 people have been forced from their homes, with 566 people killed, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health. At least 133 were civilians. Also, about 60,000 Israelis were evacuated from the border region of northern Israel. On both sides, displaced citizens could not return home until the cease-fire agreement.

The terms of the ceasefire give Israel 60 days to withdraw its troops from South Lebanon. Hezbollah will also move its military base and infrastructure north of the Litani River.

The troops are to be replaced by troops of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), a UN peacekeeping force, and the Lebanese Army.

International pressure on the Lebanese parliament has intensified as the ceasefire deadline approached. There are only 17 days left in the ceasefire for the Lebanese troops to be deployed alongside UN peacekeepers to southern Lebanon.

Mr Aoun’s duty also involves appointing a prime minister to lead reforms to address the country’s economic crisis.