Lebanese parliament to elect new president on Jan. 12

BEIRUT, Lebanon

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has set January 12 for holding a session to elect a new president.

A statement by Berri’s office said the session will be held at 11:00 a.m. local time.

Lawmakers had held 10 sessions but failed to elect a new president to succeed Michel Aoun, who left office on Oct. 31.

Parliamentary blocs, including the Lebanese Forces Party, accuse lawmakers affiliated with the Hezbollah group and its allies of hindering the election of a new president by casting blank ballots.

Hezbollah, for its part, rejects the accusation, saying it seeks a president who "will not stab the resistance in the back," in reference to Hezbollah itself.

Since 2019, Lebanon has been facing a crippling economic crisis that, according to the World Bank, is one of the worst the world has seen in modern times.

The country has been also without a fully functioning government since May, with Prime Minister Najib Mikati and his Cabinet having limited powers in their current caretaker status.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar