Lebanon's parliament elects army chief Joseph Aoun as president
Lebanese politicians elected army chief Joseph Aoun as head of state on Thursday. (AP: Bilal Hussein)
In short:
Lebanese politicians elected army chief Joseph Aoun as head of state on Thursday.
Mr Aoun's election is a first step towards reviving government institutions in a country that has had neither a head of state nor a fully empowered cabinet since late 2022.
It also reflects shifts in the power balance in Lebanon and the wider Middle East, with militant group Hezbollah badly pummelled from the war with Israel.
Lebanese politicians have elected army chief Joseph Aoun as head of state.
The move fills the vacant presidency with a general who enjoys US approval and shows that Hezbollah's influence in the country has diminished after a devastating war with Israel.
The presidency — reserved for a Maronite Christian in Lebanon's sectarian power-sharing system — has been vacant since Michel Aoun's (no relation) term ended in October 2022, with deeply divided factions unable to agree on a candidate able to win enough votes in the 128-seat parliament.
Mr Aoun fell short of the 86 votes needed in a first-round vote, but crossed the threshold with 99 votes in a second round, according to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, after politicians from Hezbollah and its Shiite ally the Amal Movement backed him.
Lebanon's system of government requires the new president to convene consultations with politicians to nominate a Sunni Muslim prime minister to form a new cabinet, a process that can often be protracted as factions barter over ministerial portfolios.
Momentum built behind Mr Aoun on Wednesday as Hezbollah's long-preferred candidate, Suleiman Frangieh, withdrew and declared support for the army commander.
"There is a very clear message from the international community that they are ready to support Lebanon, but that needs a president, a government," Michel Mouawad, a politician who voted for Mr Aoun, said.
"We did get a message from Saudi of support," he added.
Aoun appointment a sign of shifting power
Lebanese politicians gathered to elect the new president at the parliament building in downtown Beirut. (AP: Hussein Malla)
In his inaugural speech to parliament, Mr Aoun pledged "a new phase in Lebanon's history".
He said he would call for parliamentary consultations on naming a new prime minister "as soon as possible" in a country where a caretaker government has long been at the helm.
Mr Aoun also vowed he would work "to affirm the state's right to a monopoly on the carrying of arms" after a devastating war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group, and to work to "respect the truce" with Israel.
"I pledge to call for discussing a comprehensive defence strategy … on the diplomatic, economic and military levels that will enable the Lebanese state … to remove the Israeli occupation and deter its aggression."
He said he sought "the best possible relations with brotherly Arab countries" after years of strained ties with some regional nations including Gulf countries over Hezbollah's dominant role.
The outcome reflected shifts in the power balance in Lebanon and the wider Middle East, with Hezbollah badly pummelled from last year's war and its Syrian ally, Bashar al-Assad, toppled in December.
It also indicated a revival of Saudi influence in a country where Riyadh's role was eclipsed by Iran and Hezbollah long ago.
He also said there would be "serious and respectful dialogue with the Syrian state to discuss … all the suspended issues" after the fall of Bashar al-Assad.
Mr Aoun has a key role in shoring up a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel which was brokered by Washington and Paris in November.
The terms require the Lebanese military to deploy into south Lebanon as Israeli troops and Hezbollah withdraw forces.
He has been commander of the US-backed Lebanese army since 2017. On his watch, US aid continued to flow to the army, part of a long-standing US policy focused on supporting state institutions to curb Hezbollah's influence.
Mr Aoun's election is a first step towards reviving government institutions in a country that has had neither a head of state nor a fully empowered cabinet since Michael Aoun left office.
Lebanon — its economy still reeling from a devastating financial collapse in 2019 — is in dire need of international support to rebuild from the war, which the World Bank estimates cost the country $US8.5 billion ($13.72 billion).
US ambassador to Lebanon Lisa Johnson said she was "very happy" over Mr Aoun's election.
Ms Johnson and other foreign envoys had attended Thursday's session at the Lebanese parliament in which Mr Aoun was elected.
Reuters