WORLD
Lebanese parliament fails to elect new president in first session
Baku, January 9, AZERTAC
The Lebanese parliament failed on Thursday to elect a new president for the country in its first session, Anadolu Agency reports.
The assembly convened early in the day to elect a successor to Michel Aoun, who left office in October 2022. 71 lawmakers voted for army chief Joseph Aoun, while 37 MPs gave a blank vote.
A second round is scheduled to be held later in the day to elect a president.
More than 100 members of the 128-seat parliament showed up during Thursday’s session. 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.
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.
