Lebanon’s Parliament is set to finally elect Army chief, Joseph Aoun as president today after over two years of stagnation in an urgently required move to help the country overcome its financial crisis.
The tiny war-battered country has been without a president since Michel Aoun ended his six-year term in October 2022.
The country experienced a dozen previous failed attempts to elect a president due to a deadlock in parliament between pro- and anti-Hezbollah blocs.
The incoming president Army chief Joseph Aoun, is widely seen as the frontrunner, with analysts suggesting that he might be the man to oversee the rapid deployment of the army to implement a truce in south Lebanon.
However, a full-fledged war between Israel and Hezbollah last autumn dealt heavy blows to the Shiite militant group, including the death of its longtime leader, Hassan Nasrallah.
Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, expressed his optimism, stating that he is pleased the country is finally going to have a president for the first time since the presidency became vacant.
