ALBAWABA - Following a second round of voting in a session that included all 128 MPs, Army Commander General Joseph Aoun was chosen as the president of Lebanon by the parliament. After receiving 99 votes, Aoun ended a more than two-year presidential vacuum.
Mazen Ibrahim, the head of Al Jazeera's bureau in Beirut, said the deal to elect Aoun was finalized as early as Wednesday. But by postponing his election in the first round, Hezbollah and the Amal Movement want to show their might. Speaker Nabih Berri adjourned the first session for talks after Aoun received 77 votes, falling short of the two-thirds majority needed.
Ibrahim emphasized throughout his live report that Hezbollah and Amal were sending a strong message via the parliamentary interruptions, indicating their capacity to obstruct the election process. Al Jazeera sources claim that despite continuing regional changes and internal difficulties, especially in the wake of the events in Syria, political forces had already united around Aoun as the consensus candidate.
"Today marks a new chapter in Lebanon's history," Aoun said in his speech to the parliament after being sworn in as president. I promise to use all of the presidential authority as an impartial judge between institutions. Given its persistent challenges, he underlined the need of redefining Lebanon's democratic norms and economic strategies.
Aoun promised in his address to fight organized crime and corruption, but he also promised not to meddle in the legal system or give criminals impunity. Additionally, he reiterated his commitment to bolster Lebanon's military doctrine, enforce the ceasefire, and protect the country's borders. Al Jazeera reports that Aoun's administration is anticipated to concentrate on bringing the country back together and enacting changes meant to regain confidence and draw in foreign investment.
