After two years of continuous failure, the Lebanese parliament has finally elected the country’s army chief as the new president, who also has the support of the United States.
According to a report by the foreign news agency Reuters, the newly elected president of Lebanon and 60-year-old army chief Joseph Aoun also has the support of the United States and has called this election a setback for Hezbollah.
Speaking in parliament, General Joseph Aoun said that only the state has the right to possess weapons, to which Hezbollah members also applauded.
The newly elected president promised to rebuild southern Lebanon and other areas of the country and said that these areas have been destroyed by Israel and reiterated his determination that Israeli attacks will be stopped.
He said that a new era is beginning in Lebanon’s history today.
The US Ambassador to Beirut Lisa Johnson was also present during the election of the new president in the Lebanese parliament and said that she was very happy with Joseph Aoun’s success.
On the other hand, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar congratulated Lebanon in a statement on the social networking website and expressed hope that the election of Joseph Aoun will help promote stability and establish good neighborly relations.
It should be noted that the Lebanese parliament tried to elect a president 12 times in 2 years, but each attempt failed as no candidate gained a majority.
However, now after 12 failed attempts, the Lebanese parliament has convened again to elect a president and the battle has finally ended.
Joseph Aoun is widely seen as the favorite candidate of the United States and Saudi Arabia and can also play the role of a bridge between Israel and Hezbollah.
Earlier, Hezbollah had supported Suleiman Farangi, a leader of a Christian party and close to former Syrian President Bashar Assad, for the presidency.
However, following the killing of Hezbollah’s top leader in an Israeli airstrike, Suleiman Farangi announced yesterday that he was withdrawing from the presidential race in favor of General Joseph Aoun.
As the current army commander, the Lebanese constitution could have technically prevented Joseph Aoun from becoming president, but this ban has already been lifted.
It should be remembered that Michel Aoun’s term ended in October 2022, but since then no presidential candidate has been able to obtain a two-thirds majority in the 128-member parliament or a simple majority in the second round.
It should be noted that Lebanon is a country with many differences, sectarian and political divisions, and due to these two factors, the country is prone to government crises.
