Joseph Aoun Elected Lebanon President with 99 Votes, Backed by Hezbollah and Amal

Jan 9, 2025, 12:43 PM

Lebanon's parliament has elected Army Commander Joseph Aoun as the new president, ending a presidential vacancy that lasted since October 2022. In the first round of voting, Aoun received 71 votes, falling short of the required 86 votes. Hezbollah and the Amal Movement supported him in the second round, where he secured 99 out of 128 parliamentary votes to win the presidency. Aoun's election is backed by the United States and Saudi Arabia. The new president aims to stabilize Lebanon amid ongoing economic challenges and tensions, and to drive reconstruction efforts.