<\/p>\n
Lebanese lawmakers are expected to finally elect a president Thursday after more than two years of deadlock, in a much-needed step to help lift the war-battered country out of financial crisis.<\/p>\n
Army chief Joseph Aoun, 60, is widely seen as the frontrunner, with analysts saying he might be the man to oversee the rapid deployment of the army to implement a truce in south Lebanon.<\/p>\n
The tiny Mediterranean country has been without a president since Michel Aoun\u2019s term ended in October 2022.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A dozen previous attempts to elect a president all failed amid deadlock in parliament between pro- and anti-Hezbollah blocs.<\/p>\n
But a full-fledged war between Israel and Hezbollah last autumn dealt heavy blows to the Shiite militant group, including the loss of its longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah.<\/p>\n
In neighbouring Syria, Hezbollah has lost a major ally after rebels toppled President Bashar al-Assad\u00a0last month.<\/p>\n
With a fragile ceasefire in place in south Lebanon since late November, the 13th attempt at electing a new head of state kicks off at 11:00 am (0900 GMT).<\/p>\n
In a country still scarred by a 1975-1990 civil war, the divided political elite usually agrees on a consensus candidate before any successful parliamentary vote is held.<\/p>\n
International pressure has increased ahead of the session, including from French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian, who has been invited to attend the vote.<\/p>\n
US envoy Amos Hochstein was in Beirut earlier this week urging the country\u2019s lawmakers to make the election a success.<\/p>\n
A Saudi envoy also visited Lebanon on Wednesday for the second time in two weeks.<\/p>\n
Lawmakers who met the Saudi and US envoys said they were given a strong impression that both countries backed Joseph Aoun.<\/p>\n
Lebanon\u2019s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Wednesday he was optimistic.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the first time since the presidency became vacant, I am pleased that God willing tomorrow we will have a president,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Under multi-confessional Lebanon\u2019s power-sharing system, the president must be a Maronite Christian.<\/p>\n
Aoun would need a two-thirds majority \u2014 at least 86 out of 128 lawmakers \u2014 to be elected president.<\/p>\n
If he or any other candidate fails to garner that many votes, parliament will hold a second round, where a simple majority, or 65 votes, will be sufficient to win.<\/p>\n
A constitutional amendment would be needed for Aoun to become president.<\/p>\n
The current text does not allow a person who has been in high office at any point during the past two years to take up the post.<\/p>\n
If elected, Aoun would be Lebanon\u2019s fifth army commander to become president, and the fourth in a row.<\/p>\n
Military chiefs too are, by convention, Maronites.<\/p>\n
The new president faces daunting challenges, with a truce to oversee on the Israeli border and bomb-damaged neighbourhoods in the south, the east and the capital to rebuild.<\/p>\n
Crucially, the successful candidate will also need to name a new government capable of carrying out the reforms demanded by international creditors to unlock a desperately needed financial bailout.<\/p>\n
Since 2019, the country has been gripped by the worst financial crisis in its history.<\/p>\n
The Hezbollah-Israel war has cost Lebanon more than $5 billion in economic losses, with structural damage amounting to billions more, according to the World Bank.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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