Lebanon's New President Elected Through Parliamentary Vote, Army Chief Joseph Aoun

Lebanon's New President Elected Through Parliamentary Vote, Army Chief Joseph Aoun
Beirut, January 9: Lebanon's parliament on Thursday elected Army Chief Joseph Aoun as the president, filling the vacant presidency that has been empty since October 2022. Aoun is a military leader who has gained U.S. support, signaling a reduction in the influence of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, which has weakened after the Israel-Hezbollah war.

This marks a shift in the power balance in Lebanon and the broader Middle East, with the Shiite Muslim Hezbollah group severely impacted by last year's war and its Syrian ally, Bashar al-Assad, having fallen in December.

Aoun's election as president ends Lebanon's prolonged political deadlock. In the second round of voting on Thursday, Aoun secured 65 votes, which was enough to win. Earlier in the day, in the first round, he received 71 votes, but he needed 86 votes to be elected president.

Lebanon has been without a president since October when Michel Aoun's term ended. Political divisions between Hezbollah and its opponents had caused twelve previous votes to fail. However, international pressure had increased for a successful election process, particularly with just 17 days remaining for the deployment of Lebanese troops alongside United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon after a ceasefire agreement.