Lawmakers elected Joseph Aoun, the commander of the Lebanese military, the first step in forming a government to lead a country recovering from economic crisis and a devastating war.
Lebanon’s fractured Parliament overcame more than two years of gridlock on Thursday to choose a new president, a critical step toward bringing stability to a country attempting to recover from economic catastrophe and a devastating war.
Lawmakers elected Gen. Joseph Aoun, the commander of the Lebanese military, by an overwhelming majority in the second round of voting, after he failed to achieve the necessary majority in the initial vote. It marked a breakthrough toward forming a government with a mandate to lead the country after more than two years of stalemate under weak caretaker rule.
The vote was seen as a crucial milestone for Lebanon, which has endured a series of disasters in recent years, including an economic collapse and a war between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah that has left large parts of the country in ruins.
The election Thursday — which frequently descended into shouting matches — also came at an unnerving time for Lebanon and the wider region.
In neighboring Syria, an untested new government is attempting to chart a path forward and rebuild after years of civil war. The fall of the Assad regime in Syria and the defeat of Hezbollah mean a sudden loss of power for their patron, Iran.
Lebanon’s international backers, including the United States, have implied that postwar financial support is contingent on the election of a president. According to the World Bank, the Israel-Hezbollah war, which has been suspended during a fragile 60-day cease-fire, has cost Lebanon $8.5 billion in damages.