The Lebanese parliament elected MP Michel Aoun as president on Monday, ending a 29-month presidential vacuum, with a majority of 83 votes, against 36 balnk votes, 7 cancelled votes and one vote of MP Strida Geagea.
The Lebanese presidential election went to a second round on Monday when MP Michel Aoun failed to secure the necessary two-thirds majority support in parliament to win it in the first round.
Aoun secured the votes of 84 MPs in the first round, two short of the 86 needed to win. He only requires an absolute majority of 65 votes in the 128-seat parliament to win in the second round.
Speaker Nabih Berri had opened the 46th parliamentary session dedicated to elect a new president with the presence of 127 deputies.
Minister Gebran Bassil arrived to al-Nejmeh Square with wife and Minister Elias Bou Saab also arrived accompanied by his wife Julia.
Member of the Change and Reform bloc MP Issam Sawaya attended the parliament session after a years-long absence.
The number of invited officials and dignitaries reached 180. Among the figures, Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdel Karim Ali.
In turn, member of the Change and Reform bloc MP Ibrahim Kanaan hoped that a cabinet will formed as soon as possible, calling for ending all disputes since the upcoming stages will be challenging.
In a statement to LBCI, Kanaan noted that MP Aoun is the most represented on the Christian level.
“In union we find strength, and I hope that the Christian reconciliation will be completed and will last until after the presidential elections,” he added.
For his part, former Minister Nicolas Sehnaoui told LBCI that Aoun’s election as president will turn a new leaf in the history of Lebanon.
In turn, Member of the Future bloc MP Hady Hbeish stressed that he will vote to MP Aoun in today’s session, hoping that a cabinet will be formed the soonest possible in order to resume work of the state’s institutions.