Lebanon’s parliament meets to elect the president of the republic, more than two years after the last president’s term expired.
Lebanese political parties and leaders held talks with foreign officials as discussions intensified over who would take over the leadership.
Here’s everything you need to know about Thursday’s presidential election in Lebanon:
Two years? Why so long between presidents?
Parliament failed to find a consensus candidate.
Despite the many crises Lebanon has recently endured, political parties prioritize their own interests over the public good, which would be served by a stable government.
Israel’s war against Lebanon in late 2023 derailed any thought of electing a president, while Israel killed and displaced thousands of people and the interim government tried to cope.
During the ceasefire negotiations, the issue of the election of the president became an important topic of discussion.
Does the parliament elect the president?
That.
In Lebanon, the parliament elects the president with candidates campaigning among political blocs and members of parliament (MPs) – not the Lebanese electorate.
Lebanon has 128 deputies, and a majority of at least 86 votes is required for a candidate.
Since the civil war ended in 1990, Lebanese presidents have been consensus candidates who are not part of political movements.
The exception is Michel Aoun, who led the Free Patriotic Movement before becoming president.
Who will win?
The Lebanese president must be a Maronite Christian, according to the Lebanese system of political representation.
The current leading candidate is the head of the Lebanese army, General Joseph Aoun, who is likely to pass the threshold of 86 votes.
His name has been in discussions for more than a year, and he has the support of the international community.
Aoun would not be the first military commander to become president.
Emile Lahoud (president from 1998 to 2007), Michel Sleiman (2008 to 2014) and Michel Aoun (2016 to 2022) were also bosses before becoming president, with Lahoud and Sleiman becoming the president immediately after the Lebanese Armed Forces said.
Aoun is not related to former president Michel Aoun, it is just a common name in Lebanon.
Is Aoun popular?
Aoun is relatively uncontroversial and has a lot of support.
These include Walid Jumblatt’s Progressive Socialist Party, the National Moderation Bloc – made up of former members of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s Future Movement – Marad Sleiman Frangieh’s Movement, the Kataeb (Phalangist) Party and some reformist MPs who were elected in 2022, riding the wave of the 2019 revolution.
The right-wing Christian Lebanese Forces party did not commit but said it might back Aoun, while he is also seen as the United States’ favorite candidate.
Is there a significant challenger?
There was one, Sleiman Frangieh.
He was backed by Iran-backed Hezbollah and Amal, the Shiite political party of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.
Frangieh leads Marada, a small Christian party with a power base in the northern region of Zgharta.
Frangieh’s chances declined after Hezbollah was weakened by Israel’s war against Lebanon and the fall of Syria’s Assad regime – a close ally of Frangieh.
The day before the vote, Frangieh withdrew his candidacy and supported Joseph Aoun.
Are they the only candidates?
Not. There are a few more names in the ring.
Jihad Azour, a former finance minister and IMF employee, was popular among the Christian blocs – the Lebanese Forces and the Free Patriotic Movement – in 2023.
But his support appears to have waned as Lebanese forces now consider Aoun.
There is also Elias Baysari, interim head of Lebanon’s General Security Authority.
He has been seen as a potential consensus candidate but has no open support, and one lawmaker said Baysari may formally withdraw his name from the race at some point.
The other candidates are businessman and MP Neemat Frem, who said he might support Aoun himself, and Gebran Bassil of the Free Patriotic Movement, who has little support outside his own party.
Former interior minister Ziad Baroud is also occasionally mentioned as a possible consensus candidate.
Baroud was popular and widely respected in civil society when he was minister, but he does not have much support from traditional players.
When Lebanon gets a president, what will happen next?
Of course, the election of the president will not solve the countless crises in Lebanon.
But when there is a president, they can elect a prime minister who will then form a government that can take over the interim administration.
International lenders such as the World Bank – which can provide Lebanon with a cash infusion – say Lebanon needs broader systemic reforms to tackle corruption and a lack of transparency.
The new government could work on it.
Why are foreign powers involved in the election of the president of Lebanon?
Many Lebanese parties seek foreign funding or support to assert domestic influence.
Foreign actors such as the United States, France, Iran, and the Arab Gulf states can also encourage the election of an acceptable leader by promising foreign aid.
