07:16 PM
Wednesday, January 8, 2025
Books – Ayman Sabry:
In the next few hours, the Lebanese Parliament is preparing to vote on the name of the new president of the state, a step that comes as a continuation of attempts to save the country from chaos and end a political crisis that has extended since 2022.
The Lebanese Parliament, headed by Nabih Berri, will hold a session on Thursday morning, the ninth of January, to conduct the voting process, and the name of the new president will be announced later tomorrow evening.
The name of the Lebanese Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun, is strongly emerging to sit on the presidential seat in Lebanon, as reports indicated that the political forces agreed to nominate Aoun for the presidency.
Who is Joseph Aoun? Why does the United States support it?
Joseph Khalil Aoun (61 years old) has served as Commander of the Lebanese Army from 2017 until today.
Aoun, who belongs to the Maronite Christian sect, rose through the military ranks from 1983 until he reached the rank of general.
During his military career, Aoun received many orders and medals, most notably the War Medal three times, the Wounded Medal twice, the National Unity Medal, and the South Dawn Medal.
He also received the Lebanese Order of Merit, third, second, and first class, the National Cedar Medal, knight rank, and the Anti-Terrorism Medal.
Aoun was scheduled to retire on January 10, but Parliament took a decision last December to renew his term for a year.
Aoun is currently supervising the deployment of Lebanese army personnel on the southern border, in accordance with the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon.
America: Aoun is a golden opportunity for Lebanon
The American envoy to the Middle East, Amos Hockstein, said that the American administration sees the election of General Joseph Aoun as a golden opportunity to avoid the challenges it is currently facing.
Hockstein is currently in Lebanon in conjunction with the preparations being made by the Lebanese Parliament to hold a presidential nomination session on the morning of January 9.
On the sidelines of his meeting with the US Ambassador to Lebanon, Lisa Johnson, Hockstein called on a number of Lebanese parliamentarians to cling to the opportunity to elect a new head of state and ensure that any future president adheres to the Taif Agreement and the necessary agreements and reforms.
Years of failure to choose a new president
Over the course of about three years, the Lebanese political arena witnessed cases of failure and failure to elect a president to succeed General Michel Aoun, whose presidential term ended in 2022.
Since October 2022, Lebanon has been experiencing a presidential vacancy after Parliament was unable for more than two years to agree on the name of a new president.
Lebanon previously experienced a presidential vacuum, according to what Russia Today reported on its website, between 2014 and 2016, before the election of Michel Aoun.
According to observers, the main reason for repeated failure is due to the following equation.
First: The dual candidate of Hezbollah and the Amal Movement, Suleiman Franjieh.
Second: Jihad Azour, the candidate of the Christian Forces Alliance and other opposition parties against the Shiite duo.