How Army chief Joseph Aoun's Presidency Could Shape Lebanon Now!

Lebanon's legislators chose army chief Joseph Aoun as president on Thursday, ending a two-year vacancy and taking a step toward dragging the war-torn country out of its financial crisis.

Aoun, who turns 61 on Friday, entered parliament to a round of applause, dressed in a dark suit and bright blue tie rather than his normal military uniform.

"A new phase in the history of Lebanon begins today," he told the chamber.

Supporters erupted in joy in his native hamlet of Aishiyeh, south Lebanon, where villagers had gathered since the morning in front of the church, which was decorated with Lebanese flags and his photo, according to an AFP correspondent.

"The president is Joseph Aoun," Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri announced after 99 out of 128 legislators supported his candidacy.

Aoun confronts the onerous challenge of monitoring a ceasefire on Israel's border and appointing a prime minister to spearhead changes requested by international creditors in order to save the country from the greatest economic catastrophe in its history.

Aoun is Lebanon's fifth army leader to become president, and the fourth in a row.

Under Lebanon's multi-confessional power-sharing system, both the president and military chiefs must be Maronite Christians.
- There are two rounds

The Mediterranean country has been without a president since Michel Aoun's tenure — unrelated to his successor — expired in October 2022, with tensions between Iran's backed Hezbollah organization and its opponents derailing a dozen prior elections.

With only 17 days left in a cease-fire to deploy Lebanese soldiers alongside UN peacekeepers in south Lebanon following a Hezbollah-Israel battle last October, international pressure is mounting for a good resolution.

The president's powers have been restricted following the end of the 1975-1990 civil war.

However, filling the job is critical to monitoring consultations on appointing a new prime minister to lead a government capable of carrying out changes needed by international creditors.

Aoun was largely regarded as the preferred choice of army ally the United States and regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia.
However, parliamentarians from the pro-Hezbollah caucus voted blank in the first round of voting on Thursday morning, according to a source close to them, leaving army chief Aoun short of the two-thirds majority needed to win outright.

According to the source, MPs from the bloc met with Aoun during a break in parliament before returning for a second vote.

- 'Sovereignty and the Constitution'

US, Saudi, and French envoys have visited Beirut to intensify pressure ahead of the vote.

On Thursday, Pope Francis expressed hope that Lebanon can achieve institutional stability to solve its severe economic and social challenges.

Several MPs in the second round remained opposed to what they saw as foreign intervention in the vote.

Some voters voted for "sovereignty and the constitution" in protest, referring to the fact that Aoun's election would have theoretically needed a constitutional revision.

According to Lebanon's constitution, any presidential contender must not have held high office for at least two years.

In the first round, one MP voted sarcastically for Yazid Al Farhan, the Saudi envoy to Lebanon.

During the second round, one person chose former US presidential contender Bernie Sanders.

Critics have accused Hezbollah and its allies of undermining prior votes.

However, a full-fledged conflict between Israel and Hezbollah last September handed the Shiite terrorist group significant losses, including the death of its longstanding leader Hassan Nasrallah in an air strike.

In neighboring Syria, Hezbollah has lost a key partner after rebels deposed President Bashar al-Assad last month.

According to the World Bank, Lebanon's economic losses from the Hezbollah-Israel war have exceeded $5 billion, with structural damage costing billions more.