When will Lebanon’s parliament elect a new president?

Lebanon, a country in the Middle East, has failed to elect a president for the 12th time. Lebanese lawmakers have failed to select a replacement for former Lebanon President Michel Aoun, whose term ended in October 2022.

On Wednesday, disagreements among lawmakers prevented them from electing a new president. Two new candidates emerged to become the president of Lebanon. There was stiff competition between a former Lebanese finance minister and an official with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Jihad Azour, and Sleiman Frangieh, the leader of the Marada party. 

The Amal Movement, a Lebanese political party led by Nabih Berri, Speaker of the Parliament of Lebanon, and some other MPs, gave 51 votes to Suleiman Frangieh. Jihad Azour received 59 votes. The Lebanese Parliament required 86 out of a possible maximum of 128 lawmakers to elect the president. Neither Suleiman Frangieh nor Jihad Azour received enough votes to become the next president of Lebanon. 

Lawmakers from Hezbollah and the allied party Amal walked out of the parliament after the first round of voting. The Lebanese speaker was unable to continue the second round of voting. 

The Lebanese speaker said, “The election of a new president will only be achieved through consensus by adopting the path of dialogue within the framework of the Lebanese constitution and in a way that would preserve partnerships among political parties.”

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When will Lebanon elect a new president? When will Nabih Berri, Speaker of the Parliament of Lebanon, call MPs for another presidential election session to elect the president? It will not happen soon. The country has already failed to elect a president since October 2022. 

Last month, Lebanon approved $300 million in additional financing to help poor people in Lebanon. The country urgently needs to elect a president and form a new cabinet to continue to respond to the growing needs of poor and vulnerable people in Lebanon.