Move boosts Joseph Aoun's chances of securing presidency during parliamentary session scheduled for Jan. 9 - Anadolu Ajansı

Lebanon’s parliament has voted to elect the country’s army commander Joseph Aoun as head of state, filling a more than two-year-long presidential vacuum. The session was the legislature’s 13th attempt to elect a successor to former president Michel Aoun — no relation to the army commander — whose term ended in October 2022.

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Aoun’s election comes at a critical time for the crisis-stricken nation, which is grappling with political instability, economic collapse, and the aftermath of a 14-month conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

A ruthless warlord during the civil war, his nomination for president would be deeply divisive. Indeed, he was one of General Aoun’s earliest supporters. Trying to veto a candidate who had little chance of winning anyway says much about Hizbullah’s diminished power.

Reflecting the shifts, Hezbollah and its ally the Shi'ite Amal Movement led by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri have dropped their insistence on Suleiman Frangieh, their declared ca

Lebanon's parliament chose the head of the country's armed forces, Joseph Aoun, to be its next president, a post that's been vacant since October 2022.

Lebanese political heavyweights held talks Wednesday a day ahead of a parliamentary session to elect a president, but even with key player Hezbollah weakened by war, there is no guarantee