YEARS
Hezbollah had previously supported another candidate, Suleiman Frangieh. Suleiman had close relations with former Syrian President Bashar Assad. However, Frangieh announced he had withdrawn from the race and endorsed Aoun, apparently clearing the way for the army chief.
Lebanon’s parliament will once again vote on Thursday to elect its president. This move will fill the void that has been going on for more than two years. Twelve previous attempts to choose a successor to former President Michel Aoun have failed. Michel Aoun’s term ended in October 2022. There are indications that the vote could reveal a head of state. The leading candidate is Lebanese army commander Joseph Aoun. He is widely seen as the preferred candidate of the United States and Saudi Arabia, whose assistance Lebanon would need.
Hezbollah had previously supported another candidate, Suleiman Frangieh. Suleiman had close relations with former Syrian President Bashar Assad. However, Frangieh announced he had withdrawn from the race and endorsed Aoun, apparently clearing the way for the army chief. Lebanon’s fragmented sectarian power-sharing system is headed for deadlock for both political and procedural reasons. The small, crisis-hit Mediterranean country has gone through several extended presidential vacancies, the longest of which lasted nearly 2 1/2 years between May 2014 and October 2016. This ended when former President Michel Aoun was elected.
Along with reconstruction, the new President will also face the challenge of implementing the peace agreement between Israel and Hezbollah. Lebanon is facing a serious economic crisis and the situation is such that people in Lebanon are getting electricity only for a few hours. Lebanon’s currency is continuously going down. Lebanon has been talking to the IMF about a bailout package since 2022. However, no consensus has been reached on this yet.
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