The head of the Lebanese army Joseph Aoun is The new president of Lebanon.
The 61-year-old will become Lebanon's 14th president, filling the vacant position for more than two years by his predecessor, Michel Aoun – who is not related to the new president.
The appointment of Joseph Aoun solves a serious problem; Lebanon's parliament met 12 times to vote for a president but failed to elect one.
Aoun's support in the parliament came from various political parties, and he ended up getting 99 votes from the 128-seat parliament in the second round of voting.
But who is Joseph Aoun? So why did it take so long for the Lebanese parliament to approve him as the right person to lead the country?
Military events
Born in 1964 in Sin el-Fil, a neighborhood north of Beirut, Aoun became famous during his time as Lebanon's army chief, a position he ascended to in 2017, and, as President of the Republic, he is expected to remain. member of Aoun's sect, Maronite Christianity.
A biography of Aoun's Lebanese army says he enrolled in the military academy in 1983, during the Lebanese civil war.
He rose slowly, receiving various training in Lebanon and abroad, including the US counterterrorism program. He was also awarded the Lebanon War Medal three times, along with several other medals and honors.
In August 2017, after taking charge of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), Aoun used his counter-terrorism training to launch an operation against ISIL (ISIS) fighters who had spent years in the mountains between Syria and Lebanon – especially outside the Christian communities Ras Baalbek and Qaa in the northeast of the Bekaa Valley.
The success of this operation extended Aoun's suspension. And Aoun was also able to use his years at the top of the LAF to build close relationships with various regional and international actors, including the United States, Saudi Arabia and Qatar – a network that has been instrumental in gathering support around Aoun for leadership.
Economic and political problems
Aoun's tenure as head of the Lebanese army coincided with the country's most difficult period.
A decades-long economic crisis has left millions of Lebanese struggling – many soldiers have to work second jobs to make ends meet.
The economic crisis is seen as a symptom of Lebanon's deep governance crisis. The sectarian system has led to an age-old political crime, associated with corruption and political mismanagement.
The horrors of Beirut explosion in August 2020, which killed more than 220 people, added that the country's authorities have completely failed the Lebanese people.
And after President Michel Aoun stepped down in October 2022, Lebanon's parliament failed to approve a successor, despite meeting repeatedly to vote. This left Lebanon effectively paralyzed, as it needed to take action to address the country's economic crisis.
The organization that Aoun was in charge of, the Lebanese army, was also seen as weaker than the Shia group Hezbollah, another factor that undermined Lebanon's national power.
To make matters worse for the country, Israel's war in Gaza quickly dragged into Lebanon, when Hezbollah began exchanging fire with Israel on October 8, 2023, culminating in two months of Israeli bombing and attacks that killed more than 4,000 people. people, and ended with a cease-fire agreement on November 27 last year.
Chance
But, despite the death and destruction, the decision of the war opened the way to choose a president, while the pressure of the countries and the villages increased to find a solution and send the message that Lebanon will start to rebuild.
Aoun, who was only considered as a presidential candidate in 2023, was the man to take advantage of.
He kept the Lebanese army out of the war with Israel, despite the killing of more than 40 Lebanese soldiers at the time, and was seen as a key figure in ensuring Lebanon's commitment to a cease-fire, which it says Hezbollah must back down. from the south of the Litani river and replaced by the Lebanese army, ensuring that Israel retreats behind the borders defined by the UN between Lebanon and Israel.
In particular, Israel has welcomed Aoun's appointment.
But outside of the foreign and domestic support for Aoun, it is difficult to explain him politically, perhaps one of the reasons for his success in being elected president.
Not much is known about his political views, and he rarely asks questions – although in 2021 he criticized politicians for the economic crisis in Lebanon, saying that the soldiers are hungry.
Aoun did not specifically mention Hezbollah's weapons, but in his opening speech, he promised to “guarantee the government's right to bear arms”. What they will do to achieve that remains to be seen, and it will be difficult to see Hezbollah agreeing to any disarmament demands.
The new president also promised to rebuild areas targeted by Israel, including the south and the Beirut Dahiyeh area.
His emphasis on national unity comes at a rare moment of unity; Aoun's appointment ends a bitter period of parliamentary sessions.
But it will take a lot to convince the Lebanese people that the country has indeed changed, and that its political leadership has the potential to make the lives of millions of Lebanese better – a step that has failed for many. age.