In a speech to the chamber, Aoun, 60, vowed to work to
ensure the state has the exclusive right to carry arms, drawing loud applause
as lawmakers from Hezbollah, which runs its own military forces, sat still.
He promised to rebuild south Lebanon and other parts of the
country he said had been destroyed by Israel, and also to prevent Israeli
attacks on Lebanon, which was mired in deep economic and political crises even
before the latest conflict. "Today, a new phase in the history of Lebanon
begins," he said.
His
election reflected shifts in the power balance in Lebanon and the wider
Middle East, with Shi'ite Muslim Hezbollah badly pummeled from last year's war,
and its Syrian ally Bashar al-Assad toppled in December 2024. It also indicated
a revival of Saudi influence in a country where Riyadh's role was eclipsed by
Iran and Hezbollah long ago.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar congratulated Lebanon,
saying on X he hoped Aoun's election would contribute towards stability and
good neighborly relations.
US ambassador Lisa Johnson, attending the session, told
Reuters she was "very happy" with Aoun's election.
The presidency, reserved for a Maronite Christian in
Lebanon's sectarian power-sharing system, has been vacant since Michel Aoun's
term ended in October 2022, with deeply divided factions unable to agree on a
candidate able to win enough votes in the 128-seat parliament.
Joseph
Aoun fell short of the 86 votes needed in a first round vote, but crossed the
threshold with 99 votes in a second round, after lawmakers from Hezbollah and
its Shi'ite ally the Amal Movement backed him.
Hezbollah lawmaker Mohammed Raad said that by delaying their
vote for Aoun, the group had "sent a message that we are the guardians of
national consensus".
Momentum built behind Aoun on Wednesday as Hezbollah's long
preferred candidate, Suleiman Frangieh, withdrew and declared support for the
army commander, and as French and Saudi envoys shuttled around Beirut, urging
his election in meetings with politicians, three Lebanese political sources
said.
A
source close to the Saudi royal court said French, Saudi, and US envoys had
told Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a close Hezbollah ally that international
financial assistance - including from Saudi Arabia - hinged on Aoun's election.
"There is a very clear message from the international
community that they are ready to support Lebanon, but that needs a president, a
government," Michel Mouawad, a Christian lawmaker opposed to Hezbollah who
voted for Aoun, told Reuters.
"We did get a message from Saudi of support," he
added.
The Saudi king and crown prince congratulated Aoun.
Iranian Foreign Ministry on Thursday congratulated the Lebanese nation, government and all active political parties and groups on the election of Army Chief Joseph Aoun as Lebanon’s new president
ReplyDeleteIranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the election of Jospeh Aoun which is the result of “unity and consensus among a majority of the Lebanese political groups and parties is a success for entire Lebanon”.
Baqaei also expressed hope that the new president would reinforce national unity, facilitate the path to progress and development and that Lebanon would counter economic challenges and rebuild the damages caused by the Zionist regime’s “savage” attacks on the country.
The ministry spokesman also wished the election would help guard “national sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of the occupation regime’s threats and covetous eyes.”
He also pointed to historical ties between Iran and Lebanon and reiterated that the Islamic Republic is ready to develop ties with the Lebanese government in all areas and wished success for the new president.