Lebanese parliament convenes to elect new president

BEIRUT

The Lebanese Parliament convened on Thursday to elect a new president after two years of political vacuum in the country.

The parliamentary session, headed by Speaker Nabih Berri, is the 13th since 2022 to elect a successor to Michel Aoun, who left office on Oct. 31, 2022.

More than 100 members of the 128-seat parliament showed up during the session, according to an Anadolu reporter.

A candidate needs two-thirds of the vote, or 86 lawmakers, to make it through the first stage. An absolute majority is needed in subsequent rounds.

At least 81 Lebanese lawmakers have voiced support for army chief Joseph Aoun, placing him as the most likely candidate to take the position, according to official statements by the parties and blocs.

Thursday’s parliamentary session is attended by several foreign diplomats, including the French special envoy Jean-Yves Le Druan and ambassadors of the Quint committee (Egypt, France, the US, Qatar and Saudi Arabia) that is following up the issue of presidential vacancy in Lebanon.

The presidential seat has remained vacant for over two years, during which Lebanon’s political and security landscape has been significantly impacted by escalating conflicts with Israel.

According to the Lebanese Constitution, the president must be a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a Sunni Muslim, and the parliamentary speaker a Shia Muslim.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara