Ahead of Thursday’s parliamentary sessions, there had been a total of 12 unsuccessful attempts to elect a president within the past two years. The parliamentary bloc affiliated with Hezbollah disclosed that they had voted in favor of Michel Aoun during the second round of voting as a means to endorse “national cohesion.” However, they deliberately abstained from casting their votes during the initial round in order to convey a specific message. “We wanted to convey a message… that we are staunch defenders of sovereignty,” stated Mohammad Raad, the head of the Hezbollah bloc, in comments to the press. Ultimately, Aoun secured victory with the support of 99 parliamentary votes out of a total of 128 in the second round of voting.
In accordance with Lebanon’s confessional power-sharing arrangement, the country’s president traditionally hails from the Maronite Christian community. To stay updated with the latest CNN news and newsletters, you can sign up for an account at CNN.com.
