After more than two years of emptiness in the Presidency of the Lebanonthe until now head of the Army, Joseph Aounwas appointed this Thursday for a six-year term, which began pledging to rebuild the country after the war with Israel no longer allow weapons in the hands of non-state actors.
Parliament, which had not been convened for a presidential vote since June 2023 despite the urgency of the decision, made a first failed election attempt this morning, but managed to grant enough votes to Aoun in a second round just two hours later.
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The commander military60 years old, then managed to obtain the support of 99 of the 128 deputies of the Cameracomfortably exceeding the two-thirds majority necessary to be elected.
According to the live count, he surpassed that minimum mark, the Parliament erupted in applause, and fireworks and shots in the air began to echo through Beirut to celebrate a milestone that the country had been waiting for like May water since the previous president’s term expired in October 2022.
President’s promises in Lebanon
Aoun assumes the head of state just two weeks before the expiration of a ceasefire agreement with Israel, which put an end to the intense bombing campaign that hit large areas of the Lebanon between September 23 and the entry into force of the pact on November 27.
According to its stipulations, the Shiite group Hezbollah must withdraw from the border areas of southern Lebanon within 60 days and the Lebanese army must reinforce its presence there to, among other things, ensure that no non-state actor owns weapons in the sensitive region.
“As president of the Supreme Defense Council, my job is to emphasize the right of the State to have a monopoly on weapons“said the new president during a speech in Parliament, where legislators from the political and armed movement were present.
Waiting to see if the parties will fulfill their commitment in the agreement before the end of January and amid expectations that it will be renewed for another two months, Aoun also announced his intention to draw up a new security policy to dissuade Jewish state in the next stage.
“We will discuss a complete defense strategy at the diplomatic, economic and military level that allows the Lebanese State to remove the Israeli occupation and deter its aggression,” he said in his speech, as soon as he was elected.
In addition, pledged to rebuild areas destroyed during the Israeli campaignmainly the south of the country, the eastern Bekaa Valley and the Dahye capital suburbs.
Lebanon has a tendency to appoint former generals as heads of state and, in fact, his immediate predecessor, Michel Aoun, had also commanded the Army.
It is believed that the military career of the new president could be beneficial in this sensitive stage with Israel, but Lebanon still has another major obstacle ahead before it can count on fully empowered institutions to confront it.
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