Lebanese parliament fails to elect new president

ANKARA

Meeting in the capital Beirut, Lebanon’s parliament on Thursday failed to elect a new president, threatening to deepen the country’s continuing crises.

Candidate Michel Mouawad, backed by the Lebanese Forces Party, failed to get the necessary votes to win the post, and pushed to hold another voting session, according to local media.

Current President Michel Aoun’s six-year term ends on Oct. 31.

To win in the first round of voting, two-thirds of lawmakers in the 128-member assembly are needed, after which a simple majority suffices.

In Lebanon, the president is limited to a single six-year term.

Lebanese MPs have not yet agreed on a successor to Aoun, raising concerns of a political and institutional deadlock in Lebanon, which has been going through a deep economic crisis since 2019.

Lebanon has already been without a fully functioning government since May.