Lebanon’s Presidential Crisis Ends: Army Commander Joseph Aoun Sworn In

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. (Photo: Di Arlington National Cemetery - https://www.flickr.com/photos/arlingtonnatl/28155201617/, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=138015653)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

After much than 2 years of statesmanlike deadlock, Joseph Aoun has been elected the 14th President of Lebanon.

After much than 2 years of statesmanlike vacancy, Lebanon’s Parliament has elected Army Commander Joseph Aoun arsenic the 14th President of the Lebanese Republic. 

Aoun, who succeeds erstwhile President Michel Aoun, was officially sworn successful aft receiving 99 votes successful the 2nd circular of voting, Lebanese media reported. 

His predetermination marks the decision of a prolonged governmental situation and the opening of a caller signifier for the country, which has been grappling with interior instability, economical challenges, and information threats.

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Joseph Aoun’s predetermination followed a contentious and delayed process. The archetypal circular of voting earlier successful the time saw Aoun garner 71 votes, inactive abbreviated of the two-thirds bulk needed to unafraid the presidency. However, successful the 2nd round, helium received the indispensable backing, securing 99 votes, portion respective different ballots were near blank oregon were annulled.

The caller president, who has served arsenic Commander of the Lebanese Army since 2017, brings with him a subject background. 

According to the Lebanese quality web Al Mayadeen, his enactment has been tested during captious moments, including the “Dawn of the Outskirts” conflict astatine the Syrian border, on with Resistance forces. His tenure besides reportedly witnessed the emergence of large-scale protests successful 2019 and the devastating Israeli warfare connected Lebanon successful 2024.

Following his election, Aoun delivered a code successful which helium outlined his imaginativeness for the aboriginal of Lebanon, emphasizing the value of nationalist unity and sovereignty. 

He pledged to fortify Lebanon’s equipped forces, reaffirm the state’s close to power weapons, and enactment toward securing the country’s borders. His remarks underscored his committedness to tackling issues of corruption, rebuilding Lebanon’s infrastructure, and restoring nationalist spot successful authorities institutions.

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“We indispensable put successful our army, unafraid our borders, combat terrorism, and support Lebanon’s sovereignty,” Aoun reportedly stated, pledging to face Israeli aggression and instrumentality planetary resolutions that guarantee Lebanon’s security. 

He besides expressed his resoluteness to prosecute successful dialog with Syria connected pressing issues, peculiarly the unresolved questions surrounding displaced persons and missing persons.

The newly-elected president reiterated that his medication would instrumentality a hard stance connected corruption, assuring that determination would beryllium nary immunity for criminals oregon perpetrators of wrongdoing. 

According to the Lebanese paper Al-Akbar, Aoun besides underscored Lebanon’s presumption connected the Palestinian cause, emphasizing his rejection of immoderate colony of Palestinians successful Lebanon, a sentiment that resonates profoundly with the country’s governmental and societal landscape.

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Aoun’s predetermination was met with cautious optimism, particularly amid heightened information measures astir the parliamentary session. The state has faced terrible governmental deadlock, compounded by a deepening economical situation and ongoing challenges related to displaced Syrians and Lebanon’s tense narration with neighboring Israel. 

In his last remarks, Aoun called for a unified Lebanon that could prioritize its ain aboriginal and improvement alternatively than relying connected outer powers. “It is clip to stake connected Lebanon,” helium said, “and enactment unneurotic for a stronger, much resilient nation.”

(PC, Al Mayadeen, Al-Akhbar)