On January 9, Joseph Aoun was elected as the President of Lebanon, putting an end to over two years of a presidential vacuum. His victory is seen as a sign of change not only in Lebanon but also in the broader Middle East political landscape.
In the first round of voting, Aoun led with 71 out of 128 votes but fell short of the two-thirds majority required to win the election. 37 lawmakers cast blank votes while 14 supported “sovereignty and constitution.”
After a two-hour recess, legislators proceeded with a second round of voting. In this round, Aoun secured 99 votes, thus winning the presidency.
Prior to this, Lebanon’s parliament held as many as 12 elections in hopes of electing a new president after the former president’s term ended in October 2022.
Aoun is widely seen as a candidate supported by the United States and Saudi Arabia. Lebanon, following a 14-month conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, is in urgent need of aid from both countries for reconstruction.
Hezbollah suffered political and military setbacks in the war with Israel, and the terrorist group had previously supported another candidate closely aligned with Bashar al-Assad, the former president of Syria. However, this candidate withdrew from the race and endorsed Aoun, paving the way for his victory. The main parliamentary bloc opposing Hezbollah, the Lebanese Forces, also expressed support for Aoun.
According to Lebanon’s power-sharing arrangement, the president is always a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a Sunni Muslim, and the parliament speaker a Shia. While the president’s powers are limited, only the president has the authority to appoint or dismiss the prime minister and the cabinet. The caretaker government that has been managing Lebanon for the past two years had limited powers as it was not appointed by a sitting president.
Aoun becomes the fifth military commander to be elected president of Lebanon, despite the country’s constitution prohibiting senior military officers, including army commanders, from becoming president during their term or within two years after resigning.
Aoun’s election reflects a historic shift in the power balance in Lebanon and the broader Middle East region. The Shia Muslim Hezbollah suffered significant blows in last year’s war, while its Syrian ally al-Assad was ousted in December last year.
At 60 years old, Aoun has been serving as the US-backed commander of the Lebanese army since 2017. During his tenure, American aid to the army continued to flow. This aligns with the longstanding US policy of supporting Lebanese state institutions to counter Hezbollah’s influence.
While traditionally a Lebanese presidential candidate can be elected with a two-thirds majority of the 128 legislators in the first round or a simple majority in subsequent rounds, the constitutional issues surrounding his election meant Aoun needed a two-thirds majority even in the second round.
Aoun’s task ahead includes implementing the ceasefire agreement to end the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah and seeking funds for reconstruction.
Lebanon is currently facing its sixth year of economic and financial crisis, with massive devaluation of the currency and many losing their savings. The financially strained state-owned electricity company provides only a few hours of power per day.
In 2022, Lebanon’s leaders reached a preliminary rescue agreement with the International Monetary Fund, but progress on the required reforms has been limited.
Given Aoun’s relative lack of experience in economic affairs as a military commander, he may heavily rely on advisors.
Though sharing the same surname as former President Michel Aoun, they are not related.
(This article references reports from Associated Press and Reuters)