Presidential elections 101: Who are the two candidates ahead of the next presidential elections session?

The race for the Lebanese presidency is intensifying, with two prominent candidates vying for the coveted position: Jihad Azour and Sleiman Frangieh.     

Since Michel Aoun's term ended in October 2022, the Lebanese parliament has been unable to elect a new president, leading to a presidential vacuum.    

Initially, the race appeared to be between Michel Moawad and Sleiman Frangieh. However, the "presidential battle" dynamics have shifted as Lebanon's political forces have altered their stances.     

A new contender, Jihad Azour, has emerged, enjoying support from the opposition, independent Members of Parliament, and key Christian factions such as the Kataeb Party, the Lebanese Forces, and the Free Patriotic Movement.     

On the other hand, Sleiman Frangieh has garnered backing from the Hezbollah-Amal Movement alliance, which holds considerable significance in Lebanon's political scene.    

As the next parliamentary session approaches, scheduled by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on June 14, 2023, let us delve into the profiles of the two presidential candidates:    

Jihad Azour   

Ex-minister Jihad Azour is the Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund, where he manages the IMF's work in the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia, and the Caucasus.   

He served as Lebanon's Finance Minister between 2005 and 2008.    

During this time, he arranged the implementation of essential reforms to modernize Lebanon's tax and customs systems. He led the preparation and implementation of the Paris III International Donors Conference for Lebanon.   

Azour has also held several positions and roles in the private sector, namely McKinsey and Booz and Co., where he served as a Vice-President and Senior Executive Advisor.    

Before joining the IMF in 2017, he served as a Managing Partner at investment firm Inventis Partners.   

Regarding his academic endeavors, Jihad Azour holds a Ph.D. in International Finance and a post-graduate degree in International Economics and Finance from the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris.    

As a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard, he researched emerging economies and their incorporation into the global economy. Also, he published a number of books and articles on economic and financial issues.   

Sleiman Frangieh    

Born in Zgharta in 1964, Sleiman Frangieh started early in his political carrier as he was forced to stop his studies following the assassination of his father in June 1978.     

He then began working in the public field, taking the town of Bnachii (Zgharta district) as the headquarters of the institution he established.    

Frangieh grew up in an ancient political house, as he is the son of MP Tony Frangieh and the grandson of President Sleiman Frangieh (1970-1976).     

He was appointed as a representative of the Zgharta district in 1991. Then he was elected as a representative of the North Governorate in the 1992 and 1996 sessions and for the 2nd North District in the 2000 and 2009 sessions.    

In his political carrier, he served as Minister in several governments, including:   

24/12/1990 – 16/5/1992: Minister of State in the Cabinet of the late Prime Minister Omar Karami  

16/5/1992 – 31/10/1992: Minister of Housing and Cooperatives in the Cabinet of late Prime Minister Rachid Solh   

31/10/1992 – 25/5/1995: Minister of State for Municipalities and Villages in the Cabinet of the late Prime Minister Rafic Hariri   

7/11/1996 – 4/12/1998: Minister of Public Health in the Cabinet of the late Prime Minister Rafic Hariri   

4/12/1998 – 26/10/2000: Minister of Agriculture and Housing and Cooperatives in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Salim El Hoss   

26/10/2000 – 17/4/2003: Minister of Public Health in the Cabinet of the late Prime Minister Rafic Hariri   

17/4/2003 – 26/10/2004: Minister of Public Health in the Cabinet of the late Prime Minister Rafic Hariri   

26/10/2004 – 19/4/2005: Minister of Interior and Municipalities in the Cabinet of late Prime Minister Omar Karami  

He stepped out in 2018 from the parliament, and his son took his district. His party took a significant blow in the 2022 elections when only Tony made it.   

Tony founded, with three other MPs (William Tawk, Farid El Khazen, and Elias El Murr), a bloc called National Independent Bloc (Takatol Watani Moustakel).