Lebanese lawmakers elect a president after 2 years of crisis

Lebanon’s divided parliament on Thursday overcame more than two years of crisis to elect a new president, a critical step toward bringing stability to a country trying to recover from economic disaster and a devastating war.

Lawmakers elected General Joseph Aoun, the commander-in-chief of the Lebanese military, by an overwhelming majority in the second round of voting, with 99 votes in the 128-seat parliament, after he failed to achieve the required number in the initial round. It was a breakthrough in efforts to form a government after more than two years of weak deputy government.

“Today begins a new phase in Lebanon’s history,” General Aoun said during his victory speech.

The vote was seen as a crucial milestone for Lebanon, and people in Beirut, the capital, celebrated with fireworks and gunshots when the results became clear. The crisis-stricken nation has endured a series of disasters in recent years, including an economic collapse and a war between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah that has left large areas in ruins.

Thursday’s election – which often erupted into shouting matches – also reflected shifting power balances in the region and came at a nerve-wracking time for Lebanon. In neighboring Syria, an untested government is trying to carve out a way forward after several years of civil war. The fall of the Assad regime in Syria and the military defeat of Hezbollah, the militia that has long been Lebanon’s dominant political force, have also meant a sudden loss of power for their patron, Iran.

Lebanon’s international backers, including the United States, have indicated that post-war financial support is conditional on the election of a president. According to the World Bank, the Israel-Hezbollah war, which has been suspended under a fragile 60-day ceasefire, has caused 8.5 billion dollars value of damages and losses in Lebanon.

Since October 2022, when Michel Aoun stepped down as president at the end of his six-year term, the parliament had voted for a replacement 12 times without success. According to Lebanon’s sectarian power-sharing agreement, the president must be a Maronite Christian.

Hezbollah has been a major roadblock, throwing away votes by walking out of the chamber. But the group was deeply weakened by the war with Israel, and analysts noted that it probably felt it had to make concessions because of the scale of Lebanon’s economic needs.

Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc remains strong and could have thwarted General Aoun’s election, but it ultimately threw its weight behind him on Thursday. The group’s candidate dropped out on the eve of the election, a highly anticipated move. Analysts said the war had left Hezbollah little room to maneuver politically.

“He encapsulates the shift in the balance of power in Lebanon,” said Mohanad Hage Ali, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut.

General Aoun is now expected to appoint a prime minister in consultation with parliament, and the prime minister – who must be Sunni – will then form a government. Since no faction has a majority, it is unclear how long it will take. General Aoun said he would seek consultations as soon as possible.

The new president, who is not related to Michel Aoun, is seen by analysts as having US backing and is widely respected in Lebanon. He has led the armed forces since 2017, and they are the only national institution that enjoys cross-sectarian support.

“He is seen as an acceptable figure by all of Lebanon’s political elite,” said Lina Khatib, an associate fellow at Chatham House, a London-based research organization. “This is linked to the perception in Lebanon that the Lebanese army is an institution that works in the national interest.”

The US and Saudi ambassadors took part in the vote on Thursday, along with France’s special envoy to Lebanon and other foreign diplomats. A flurry of diplomatic efforts preceded the vote, including a visit earlier this week by Amos Hochstein, the top US envoy to the region, who met with General Aoun and urged lawmakers to break the political crisis.

The election of General Aoun, who will step down as army chief, will require an amendment to the constitution, a move that has precedent but has sparked fierce debate in parliament. High-ranking officials are required to resign two years before they can run for public office.

Dozens of lawmakers cast protest votes in the first round, including one for “Joseph Amos Bin Farhan,” a mash-up of General Aoun’s name with the U.S. and Saudi envoys that reflected anger among some lawmakers at international influence.

Diplomats have said they hope General Aoun’s military career will allow him to exercise continued authority over the army and fully implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701 – a 2006 accord that ended the previous Israel-Hezbollah war but which failed to keep the peace. They hope it will be a plan for a long-term peace when the current ceasefire ends.

During his victory speech, General Aoun promised that only the Lebanese state would have weapons, prompting applause in parliament. Israeli officials have said they hope the Lebanese army will crack down on Hezbollah’s activities in southern Lebanon.

“I hope this election will contribute to stability, a better future for Lebanon and its people and to good neighborly relations,” Gideon Saar, the Israeli foreign minister, said on social media.

Addressing parliament and the nation, General Aoun sought to reassure the Lebanese people that he would help restore stability to the country, pledging to strengthen the state and fight corruption. He also spoke directly about the devastation of Israel’s war with Hezbollah.

“My promise is to rebuild what Israel destroyed,” he said.

Aaron Boxerman contributed with reporting.