Beirut - Afrasianet - After more than two years and two months of presidential vacuum, Lebanon has witnessed  a  turning point with the election of the army commander, General Joseph Aoun, as the new president of the Lebanese Republic. This event came after the parliament's failure to settle the presidential election during the previous 12 sessions, and the Lebanese finally fulfilled some of their aspirations for long-awaited stability.

The election process was not easy, as General Aoun was unable to resolve the presidency in the first round, as he received 71 votes out of 128, while 37 white papers and 20 canceled papers were recorded, this situation prompted the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nabih Berri,  to suspend the session for two hours for consultation, before launching a second session that witnessed a shift in results.

In the second round, General Aoun received 99 votes, while the white papers fell to 9, with 18 canceled papers, to declare him president for a period of 6 years.

In the first round, clear signs of a deliberate political position emerged, as the Shiite duo, represented by Hezbollah and the Amal Movement, chose to vote with white papers, as the Shiite duo has 30 votes distributed equally between the two blocs at 15 votes for each bloc, while in the second round, the white papers witnessed a significant decline, reflecting reaching a consensus on controversial points that were outstanding, which paved the way for General Aoun's victory.

The election session was not without legal disputes and political controversy, as the Lebanese constitution stipulates that it is forbidden to elect first-class employees while they take office, and until two years have passed since their resignation or retirement, this challenge added complexity to the political scene, but it did not prevent the election of General Aoun with regional and international support.

His election as President of the Republic comes at a time when Lebanon is still suffering from the repercussions of the financial collapse of 2019, as well as the effects of the recent Israeli war, and the country is expected to witness intensive efforts to form a new government and implement fundamental reforms in various sectors.

General Joseph Khalil Aoun, commander of the Lebanese army since March 8, 2017, has never held political positions, is known for his good relations with various political forces, and enjoys strong relations with foreign countries, most notably the United States, which is one of the largest financial supporters of the Lebanese army along with France and Saudi Arabia.

Vacuum closure

The writer and political analyst, George Alam, believes that Lebanon has entered a new phase after closing the vacuum that lasted for two years and 3 months, and this phase was established with the clear support of the Arab International Quintet under the auspices of the United States of America, France, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

"There was great support from these countries for elected President Joseph Aoun, especially in light of the inability of the House of Representatives and parliamentary blocs to reach an agreement on a consensual president without international interference," Alam added.

Regarding the president-elect's speech during his swearing-in ceremony, Alam commented, "It was a founding statement for Lebanon, addressing many important issues such as social, judicial, financial, and economic issues, and the focus was that Lebanon needs a comprehensive reconstruction process."

Science has raised the most important question at the current stage: "What about the new government?" He pointed out that the Lebanese attention will focus mainly on determining who will be the head of the government, and who will occupy ministerial positions, in addition to knowing the program or ministerial statement that the government will adopt. These issues will determine the country's path forward, he said.

The political analyst concluded that the current situation reflects the end of the vacuum in Lebanon and the start of the process of rebuilding its institutions, and explained that it is necessary to follow this path closely in the coming period.

Political settlement

On the other hand, political analyst Dr. Ali Matar believes that what happened is an inevitable result of the stage that requires the presence of a president and the formation of a new government, with the aim of enabling Lebanon to rebuild itself and rebuild the Lebanese state.

Matar pointed out that what happened in the first session was clear, as it is not possible to elect a president of the republic or conduct any political and constitutional entitlement in Lebanon without the consent of the Shiite duo, pointing out that some were betting on the weakness of Hezbollah and the decline of its influence after the war, but Matar believes that there is a clear message that without the approval of the Shiite duo, no vote or entitlement can be passed in the House of Representatives.

Matar believes that this was an important message to all Lebanese components, that consensus with the Shiite duo cannot be bypassed or its role ignored. He pointed out that there was a meeting between the first and second sessions between the Shiite duo and General Joseph Aoun to determine the foundations of the new phase and build it. He also believes that it was clear that "it was the participation of the Shiite duo that turned the balance and resulted in the arrival of General Aoun to the presidency of the republic."

Constitutional debate

On the other hand, lawyer Dr. Paul Morcos, president of the JASTICA Foundation in Beirut and dean at the International Business School (ISS) in Strasbourg, believes that the electoral scene is positive, and carries with it optimism despite the presence of some impurities that could have been avoided, such as the unnecessary prolonged pause to move to the second round, yet the lawyer does not notice any serious legal abuses or irregularities that may affect the integrity of the long-awaited elections.

Counsel adds that no constitutional amendment is necessary at the moment, especially since the presidential elections took nearly two years, and therefore the amendment of article 49 of the Constitution to enable employees of the first category or its equivalent, including the army commander, to resign was not justified, since the time limit for this amendment had already lapsed.

It also points to another reason why the constitution should not be amended, which is that the army commander obtained a prescribed majority that exceeds the quorum necessary to amend the constitution in accordance with Article 76 thereof, and therefore there is no need to amend the constitution to elect the army commander as president, among other reasons.