Beirut – On Thursday, the Lebanese Parliament failed to elect a new president for the third time, bringing the country closer to the possibility of a vacancy in the highest position held by a Christian and a broader crisis in the legitimacy of the state.
On Thursday, 119 out of 128 deputies participated in the 30-minute plenary session. No party or coalition may impose its choice because the election rules call for a two-thirds majority of political members of Parliament.
When the ballots were sorted, it was discovered that there were 55 white papers, 42 of which were cast in favour of the Christian anti-Hezbollah candidate Michel Moawad, while the remaining ballots bore political slogans such “Adel’s dictator.”
The next session of the legislature is scheduled to begin on October 24.
Since the civil war that lasted from 1975 to 1990, he had already left the presidency on many occasions.
As the presidential authorities would transfer to the next government, they anticipated that lawmakers would work harder to reach an agreement on a new administration led by designated Sunni Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who is now in charge of the caretaker government.
On October 31, President Michel Aoun’s term will come to an end, but there are still significant differences among political parties over how to create the next administration.
The deputies of the “Free Patriotic Movement” announced in a previous period that they did not attend the previous session, as they coincided with the anniversary of the exclusion of General Aoun from Baabda Presidential Palace, with a joint Lebanese-Syrian operation, on October 13, 1990.
Observers claim that without agreement between regional and international forces, each of which supports a particular team, the political issue in Lebanon cannot be resolved.
A successor to Michel Aoun will have a lot of effects over the next six years because he is seen as a contributing factor to the political turmoil in Lebanon due to his affiliation with the Hezbollah organisation that supports Iran.
The president’s term is only valid for 6 years and is not up for renewal until 6 years after the conclusion of his initial term.
The constitution does not require individuals who want to run for president to submit nominations in advance, as any deputy can choose any Maronite Lebanese as long as none of the prerequisites, including age and judicial register, are hindered or in conflict.
The constitution stipulates that two-thirds of the 128 members of Parliament must be present to hold presidential elections, and that two-thirds plus one vote, or 65 deputies, must be cast in the first session to hold elections in subsequent sessions. It is challenging for any party or alliance to enforce its option given the division in Parliament and the inability of one group to hold the majority.
Despite its power in parliament, Hezbollah will have a say in the presidential election process because the party and its supporters lost the majority in the May elections, which divided the legislature.
The inability of the Parliament to choose a new president has left Lebanon with the threat of empty.
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