Lebanon’s fractured parliament overcame more than two years of filibustering on Thursday to elect a new president, a key step in bringing stability to a country struggling to recover from an economic crisis and devastating war.
Lawmakers chose Gen. Joseph Aoun, commander of the Lebanese army, with a stunning majority in the second round of voting, after failing to obtain the required majority in the first vote. It marked progress in establishing a government with a mandate to lead the country after more than two years of tension under a weak caretaker government.
The vote was seen as a landmark in Lebanon, which has endured a series of crises in recent years, including an economic collapse and a war between Israel and the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah that has left large parts of the country in ruins.
Thursday’s election – which has often descended into close contests – also came at an inauspicious time for Lebanon and the region at large.
In neighboring Syria, an untested new government is trying to chart a way forward and rebuild after years of civil war. The fall of the Assad regime in Syria and the defeat of Hezbollah means a sudden loss of power for their sponsor, Iran.
Lebanon’s international backers, including the United States, have indicated that post-war financial support depends on the election of a president. According to the World Bank, Israel’s war with Hezbollah, suspended during a fragile 60-day ceasefire, has cost Lebanon $8.5 billion in damages.
As of October 2022, when Michel Aoun steps down as president at the end of six years, Parliament has failed in the last 12 votes to elect a successor. But Hezbollah, which had long been the political power in Lebanon, was greatly weakened by the war with Israel and analysts noted that the group felt compelled to make a deal because of Lebanon’s dire financial needs.
The new president, who is not related to Michel Aoun, is considered by analysts to have the support of the US and is widely respected in Lebanon. He has led the country’s military since 2017, a role that has placed him in the position of overseeing a single national institution that enjoys cross-sectional support.
“He is seen as an acceptable figure by the entire political elite in Lebanon,” said Lina Khatib, a fellow at Chatham House, a London-based think tank. “This is in line with the Lebanese view that the Lebanese army is an institution that serves the country.
Diplomats hope that Mr. Aoun will allow him to continue to influence the military and lead to the full implementation of Resolution 1701 of the UN Security Council – the 2006 agreement that ended the previous Israeli-Hezbollah war but failed to maintain peace. They hope it will be a blueprint for long-term peace once the current war ends.
Mr. Aoun is now expected to appoint a prime minister, in consultation with Parliament, and the prime minister will form a government. With no party holding a majority, that could be a long process.
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