For the seventh time this Thursday, the Lebanese parliament failed to reach a consensus to elect the president of this nation, which has remained in a power vacuum for more than three weeks, exacerbating the political crisis.
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The Lebanese Parliament does not elect the President of that country
According to national sources, 50 of the 110 assembly members voted blank, while the candidate with the most votes, Michel Moawad, with 23 votes, fell short of the 65 votes needed for an absolute majority.
In this sense, the strong polarization between the Hezbollah coalition and its opponents has prevented the appointment of a successor to former President Michel Aoun, who resigned at the end of October.
Outcome of the 7th session to elect a President: 42 votes for Michel Moawad, 50 blank votes, 8 votes for “New Lebanon”, 2 votes for Ziad Baroud, 1 vote for Issam Khalifeh, 6 votes for Badri Therefore and 1 invalid vote
— MTV English News (@MTVEnglishNews)
November 24, 2022
Banks such as the Lebanese Armed Forces, the Progressive Party, the Kataeb and others have ratified their support for Moawad in front of a large contingent of Sunni and independent MPs who have voiced their support for Marada movement leader Suleiman Franjieh.
The last longest-serving president, for his part, was able to achieve a parliamentary majority after 46 legislative periods, which resulted in a power vacuum of 888 days.
Aoun resigned after six years in office amid a severe economic and political crisis. On his departure, the former President expressed his opposition to the interim government led by Prime Minister Najib Mikati.