Elections
Lebanon Aims for First President Since 2022 in Wake of War
- Army commander will stand against IMF official for president
- Lebanon has been battered by recent Israel-Hezbollah conflict
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Lebanese lawmakers will attempt to elect a first president in more than two years Thursday, with army commander Joseph Aoun emerging as the main candidate to lead a country battered by months of war and years of economic crisis.
More than 70 lawmakers said they would vote for Aoun, 60, who has the backing of the US, partly because of the Lebanese military’s crucial position in maintaining a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel. He’ll need the votes of two-thirds of the 128-seat parliament to win.