Lebanon’s parliament elected Army Chief Joseph Aoun as the country’s new president on Thursday, bringing an end to a prolonged political deadlock and presidential vacancy, CNN reported.
Aoun was elected after two rounds of voting, following extensive efforts by the United States and Saudi Arabia to garner support for him. Both countries have close ties with Aoun, who is aligned with Washington and Riyadh.
After his election, Aoun stepped down from his military role and arrived at the parliament in civilian attire to be sworn in.
In his acceptance speech, Aoun declared the start of a “new era” for Lebanon, vowing to address the country’s ongoing economic and political crises. He also made a rare pledge to “monopolise weapons” under the state’s authority, signalling his intention to disarm Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group, which has significant military influence in Lebanon, as reported by CNN.
Notably, Hezbollah, the most heavily armed militant group in the Middle East, had significant influence in several countries until it suffered heavy losses in a recent war with Israel. This conflict, along with the weakening of its ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has reignited domestic debate on disarming the group.
The US-brokered ceasefire agreement signed in November further weakened Hezbollah’s position by stipulating its withdrawal from the border area with Israel, and Israeli forces are required to leave Lebanese territory by the end of January, as reported by CNN.
