Lebanon’s parliament has elected the head of the country’s army as president, ending a power shortage that has dragged on for more than two years.
The appointment of Joseph Aoun to the main ceremonial role – reserved for a Maronite Christian under the sect’s power-sharing plan – was supported by several key political parties, as well as the US, France and Saudi Arabia.
The preferred rival of Hezbollah, the powerful Shia Muslim militia and Iran-backed political party, withdrew on Wednesday and approved the commander.
His election comes six weeks after Lebanon agreed to a cease-fire to end the war between Israel and Hezbollah, which has left the group extremely fragile and devastated in areas it controls.
The Lebanese army, which Aoun has led since 2017, has not taken part in the conflict and has an important role under the ceasefire agreement. It is necessary to deploy troops in southern Lebanon as Israeli forces withdraw and to ensure that Hezbollah ends its armed presence by 26 January.
In his speech to lawmakers following his election on Thursday, Aoun declared that “a new chapter in the history of Lebanon” had begun.
The 60-year-old vowed to work during his six-year term to ensure Lebanon’s “exclusive right to bear arms” – a reference to Hezbollah, whose own army is considered more powerful than Israel’s resistance force. before their 13-month conflict, they violated a UN Security Council resolution that ended their last war in 2006.
Aoun said another priority for him was repairing the destruction caused by “Israeli aggression” in southern Lebanon, areas south of Beirut and the eastern Bekaa Valley during the war, which the World Bank estimates will cost $8.5bn (£6.9bn).
He also promised to deal with political and economic reforms that are widely seen as necessary in a country that has been hit by many problems.
Besides the Hezbollah-Israel conflict, it includes a six-year recession that is one of the worst on record in modern times, and the Beirut port explosion in 2020 that killed more than 200 people.
As president, Aoun will not face executive decisions. However, he is the one who will deal with signing the bills into law, negotiate with political parties on the appointment of the prime minister and approve the cabinet before it goes to parliament for a confidence vote.
Lebanon has not had a functioning government since the last parliamentary elections in May 2022.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati was unable to secure the support of a new cabinet before then-president Michel Aoun’s term expired in October, leaving his administration with reduced powers.
The divided parliament then failed to elect a new president 12 times.
Momentum built after Aoun’s nomination on Wednesday, when Marada Movement leader Suleiman Frangieh, who backed Hezbollah two years ago, withdrew from the race saying the army chief had “the qualities to retain the position of first president”.
In Thursday’s first round, 71 lawmakers voted for Aoun, 15 short of the two-thirds majority he needs in the 128-seat parliament. Another 37 lawmakers – most of them reportedly from Hezbollah and their ally Amal – cast blank votes, while 20 were declared invalid.
A few hours later, Aoun was elected president after receiving 99 votes in the second round, after Hezbollah and Amal supported him.
Hezbollah’s lawyer Mohammed Raad said that by postponing the election, the party “sent a message that we are the guardians of the national agreement”.
As soon as the result was announced by Speaker Nabih Berri, TV channels showed scenes of celebrations across the country.
Aoun was later shown arriving at the parliament building, wearing a black suit rather than his military uniform. He then checks the guards before entering the room to be sworn in.
The UN Special Rapporteur on Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, said the elections were “the long-awaited first step to end Lebanon’s political and institutional vacuum and to provide the Lebanese people with the effective state institutions they deserve”.
“A prime minister must be appointed and a government formed without delay. The tasks before the government of Lebanon are too big to waste any more time,” he added.
French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated Aoun on what he called an “important election” that paves the way for reforms and the restoration of Lebanon’s sovereignty and prosperity.
The US ambassador in Beirut said it was willing to work closely with Aoun as he begins his “efforts to unite the country, implement reforms and secure a bright future for Lebanon”.
Iran’s ambassador also sent his congratulations and said he was looking forward to working with Lebanon “in a way that will fulfill the interests of our countries”.