Lebanon elects a new President after more than two years vacancy

Lebanese Armed Forces Chief General Joseph Aoun was elected as the President of Lebanon by the Lebanese Parliament on 9 January 2025. The office of the President has been vacant in Lebanon for over 2 years since President Michel Aoun's (no relation to General Aoun) tenure ended in October 2022. 

Lebanon's members of Parliament had failed in 12 previous rounds of voting to reach a consensus on electing a President.

General Aoun faces the difficult task of rebuilding a country that has been ravaged by 14 months of conflict between Israel and the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant Shia group Hezbollah.

Presidential Election in Lebanon 

The President is elected by the 128-member Lebanese Parliament. The winning candidate needs to secure two-thirds or at least 78 votes to be elected.

The  Lebanese Army Chief General Joseph Aoun was able to secure the necessary two-thirds votes of the members of Parliament in the second round of voting.

The term of the President is six years.

Constitutional system of Lebanon 

Lebanon has a multiparty, parliamentary system of government. The Parliament of Lebanon is unicameral named the National Assembly. 

The 128 members of the National Assembly are elected by the people for a term of four years.

The President is elected by the members of the National Assembly and needs to secure a two-thirds majority in the Parliament to be elected.

The term of the President is six years.

A Maronite Christian is by convention elected the President of Lebanon. 

President of Lebanon to be a Maronite Christian 

Lebanon was one of the most prosperous countries in West Asia. However, its population was divided along sectarian lines - Maronite Christians, Sunni Muslims, Shia Muslims, and the displaced Palestinian population. Civil war erupted in the country in 1975 over the sharing of power amongst these communities. 

The foreign countries like Israel supported by the United States of America and France supported Christians while Iran and Syria supported Muslims.

In 1989 an agreement was reached between the warring parties in Taif, Saudi Arabia which led to a new formula of power sharing. 

Taif Accord 

• The representation of Muslims and Christians in the Lebanese Parliament will be equal.
• The President must be a Maronite Christian, the Prime Minister a Sunni Muslim, and the Speaker of the National Assembly a Shiite Muslim. 
• The President in consultation with the Speaker of the National Assembly will invite a Sunni Muslim to form a government.  
• However, this power-sharing arrangement is not mentioned in the Lebanese constitution but is a convention.

About Lebanon 

Lebanon is a small country situated in West Asia along the Mediterranean Sea.It has one of the oldest human settlements in the world.

After the First World War, Lebanon was administered by France and it declared its independence in 1946.

Capital: Beirut

Currency: Lebanese Pound

President: Joseph Aoun