After more than two years of delay, Lebanon’s Parliament elected Michael Aoun, a former chief in the national army, as the country’s next president on October 31. The office was left vacant after the Michel Suleiman’s term ended in May 2014, and it took more than 45 attempts to elect a President since Suleiman left office. The parliamentary vote took four rounds, after Auon failed to reach a majority in the first round, and the following two rounds received more votes than members in Parliament. In the fourth and final round, Auon received 83 votes, passing the threshold needed in the 128-person Parliament. Aoun has since tapped Saad al-Hariri as prime minister and tasked him with forming a new government.
The United States Department of State released a press statement congratulating “the people of Lebanon on the election of President Michel Aoun, in accordance with Lebanon’s constitution. This is a moment of opportunity, as Lebanon emerges from years of political impasse, to restore government functions and build a more stable and prosperous future for all Lebanese citizens.” The statement went on further to urge the Lebanese government to “uphold international obligations.”
Last week, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif became the first foreign official to visit Aoun, a close ally of Hezbollah. Ali Hashem wrote of the challenges facing Aoun, “With all these burdens on Aoun’s shoulders, he is left with a very slight margin for error. The new president will have to weigh his stances wisely. He must consider his different allies’ positions seriously, and he will need to address regional differences. It is all about crossing this huge minefield safely, for the first mistake here could be the last one.”