Lebanon's army chief Joseph Aoun leaves the parliament building after being elected as the country's President in Beirut, Lebanon, January 9, 2025. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
Army chief Joseph Aoun elected Lebanon's president after position left vacant since 2022 | CBC News LoadedLebanon's parliament elected army chief Joseph Aoun head of state on Thursday, filling the vacant presidency with a general who enjoys U.S. approval and showing the diminished sway of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group after its devastating war with Israel.
He promised to rebuild south Lebanon and other parts of the country he said had been destroyed by Israel, and also to prevent Israeli attacks on Lebanon, which was mired in economic and political crises even before the latest conflict.
U.S. ambassador Lisa Johnson, attending the session, told Reuters she was "very happy" with Aoun's election.The presidency, reserved for a Maronite Christian in Lebanon's sectarian power-sharing system, has been vacant since Michel Aoun's term ended in October 2022, with deeply divided factions unable to agree on a candidate able to win enough votes in the 128-seat parliament.
A source close to the Saudi royal court said French, Saudi, and U.S. envoys had told Berri, a close Hezbollah ally, that international financial assistance — including from Saudi Arabia — hinged on Aoun's election. Lebanon, its economy still reeling from a devastating financial collapse in 2019, is in dire need of international support to rebuild from the war, which the World Bank estimates cost the country $8.5 billion US.
"This election must now be followed by the appointment of a strong government" capable of "carrying out the reforms necessary for Lebanon's economic recovery, stability, security and sovereignty," French foreign ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine said.
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