Congratulations to the new President of Lebanon from khazen.org. We hope a Lebanon Strong under a strong and safe Lebanese Presidency full of prosperity and peace for Lebanon, the land of the Saints.

List of several articles from Reuters, Al Jazeera,  Gulfnews, New York Times,  daily star, cs monitor, naharnet, foreign affairs below. All of these articles represent the opinion of the authors.

People carry pictures of newly appointed Lebanese President Michel Aoun while waving Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) flags in the Haret Hreik area, southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon October 31, 2016.

REUTERS/Khalil Hassan

Women carry a picture of newly elected Lebanese President Michel Aoun in the Haret Hreik area, southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon October 31, 2016. REUTERS/Khalil Hassan

By Reuters, The Lebanese parliament elected former army commander Michel Aoun as president on Monday, ending a 29-month presidential vacuum as part of a political deal that is expected to make Sunni Muslim leader Saad al-Hariri prime minister. Aoun, who is in his 80s, secured the presidency by winning the support of 83 MPs, well above the absolute majority of 65 needed to win, according to a tally of votes read out in a televised broadcast from parliament.  Fireworks echoed across Beirut as the tally showed Aoun the winner. Aoun, an MP, was shown smiling in his seat. The Lebanese presidency is reserved for a Maronite Christian in the country's sectarian power-sharing system.

Hariri's decision to endorse Aoun marked a major political concession reflecting the diminished role of Saudi Arabia in Lebanon, and the decisive influence wielded by the Tehran-backed Hezbollah. Saudi Arabia had backed Hariri and his allies through years of political struggle with Hezbollah and its allies. Hariri's own financial misfortunes have also played a big part in bringing about the breakthrough. His political network in Lebanon was hit by a cash crunch caused by financial troubles at his Saudi-based construction firm, Saudi Oger.

Analysts say the position of prime minister, which he previously held from 2009 to 2011, should help him shore up his support ahead of parliamentary elections that are due to be held next year. Aoun is due to meet MPs later this week on their preferences for prime minister. He is obliged to designate the candidate with the greatest support among MPs, expected to be Hariri. (Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Samia Nakhoul)

A general view shows the presidential palace prior to presidential elections in Baabda, near Beirut, Lebanon October 29, 2016. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

By Gulfnews - Joseph A. Kechichian, London: Free Patriotic Movement leader (FPM) and March 8 candidate General Michel Aoun, 81, was elected President of the Republic of Lebanon yesterday with 83 votes. There were 36 blank votes cast, which sent a clear signal that opposition to Aoun’s rule will be present, even if scores of Future Movement and Lebanese Forces (LF) deputies cast favourable ballots. What the full six-year term will entail is a mixed bag of surprises, as Aoun will have to hone his compromise skills in a country that lost such attributes among elites anxious to destroy each other

Quorum was established on Monday for the 46th session, and when the first vote was taken, Aoun managed to secure the support of 83 deputies, which was short of the required two-thirds majority of 86 (out of 128). He prevailed in the second round, but the actual voting was repeated three separate times as illegalities abounded. While 128 ballots were counted, there were only 127 deputies present in parliament, given that Robert Fadel resigned several months ago. In addition to the 36 blank ballots, 7 were invalidated and one went to Sethrida Geagea, the wife of the LF leader Samir Geagea.

Sulaiman Franjieh, the Marada leader and candidate, had requested blank votes and he seems to have gathered those of the Amal Movement, the Phalange Party and at least the following independent parliamentarians: Najeeb Mikati, Ahmad Karame, Dory Chamoun, Boutros Harb and Nayla Tueni. Even if Aoun failed to win all of the votes he had repeatedly requested during the past two years, his mandate was now a fact of life, with the immensely critical task of forming a government, presumably under the leadership of Prime Minister Sa‘ad Hariri.

Hariri’s task, should Aoun and Hezbollah honour the deal they made to select him, will now spend weeks or months to put together a government, though the first indications that this will be a gargantuan task appeared a few days ago when Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader, tasked Speaker Nabih Berri to negotiate over the line-up of the new government on behalf of the March 8 forces. This was a stunning development because Berri harbours deep distrust of Aoun and objects to the Aoun-Hariri deal.

In fact, Hezbollah’s failure to reconcile Berri, Franjieh and Aoun prompted Nasrallah to authorise the Speaker to act, which was likely to end any bets on a dispute between the Shiite duo in the next few weeks and months. Nasrallah swallowed his pride and let Berri and Amal cast blank votes though he and his acolytes insisted that everyone backed “their” contender.

Not only had Berri openly announced that Amal would not vote for Aoun and that it would join the ranks of the opposition, the Speaker was livid that Aoun and Hariri engaged in “bilateral” agreements that marginalised Shiites in power, starting with Berri himself. This was unacceptable and it is clear that Aoun and Hariri will now have little choice but to negotiate with Berri.

Once a government is composed, it remains to be determined whether much of anything will change on the domestic front, ranging the gamut from collecting accumulating garbage in Lebanese streets to eventual solutions to water and electricity. Corruption, which everyone practised with a vengeance because it was profitable, will continue on Tuesday just as much as it was on Monday, although many Aounists will be giddy that their man will now clean-up the country.

More serious foreign policy clashes will emerge quickly as well. Assuming that Hariri kowtows to Hezbollah’s demand that the Cabinet apply the “tryptic of the people-army-resistance” in its declaration, differences over the war in Syria will muddy the waters. Aoun and Hariri will thus need to find a solution to explain what cannot possible to be justified — Hezbollah’s military presence on behalf of President Bashar Al Assad — or else face severe internal divisions. Under the Taif Accords, much of the real source of power resides with the premier, and it will be impossible to know whether Hezbollah and the FPM will honour the deals they reached with Hariri who, it is worth recalling, is openly opposed to Al Assad.

Equally important is the designation of Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation by the Gulf Cooperation Council, whose citizens are urged not to travel to Lebanon. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other GCC partners may invite Aoun to visit, but beyond protocol, few anticipate dramatic changes because of Hezbollah’s critical role throughout the region as a tool in the hands of Iran, a GCC foe.

In fact, there is no denying that Nasrallah holds a Damocles Sword over Aoun’s head, who will now need to figure how to ingratiate himself with the Arab Gulf States while keeping internal stability. The new president will require stamina to negotiate, wisdom to advance the national interest, and patience to see some of his projects through. He might well succeed although few should expect dramatic changes in the near term.

By The New York Time, Mr. Aoun, 81, has developed a fervent political base of supporters who consider him a last hope for the country’s dwindling Maronite Christian community. But his detractors are just as passionate, blaming him for allying with his onetime enemies, the Syrian government, and with the militant group Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran and Syria and listed as a terrorist group by the United States. The Lebanese Parliament met in a ceremonial session in Beirut on Monday to formally anoint Mr. Aoun, who secured the requisite number of ballots after four rounds of voting. Gunfire and honking broke out in East Beirut after Mr. Aoun passed the voting threshold in Parliament, and the proceedings were broadcast on every major Lebanese television network.

The voting itself made clear the condition of a legislature that failed on 45 previous occasions to even muster a quorum for a presidential ballot. On Monday, the speaker of Parliament had to cancel two rounds of voting simply because someone had slipped an extra ballot into the transparent box. The whole process took two hours and included votes cast for the pop star Myriam Klink and Zorba the Greek. For all that, Mr. Aoun’s ascendancy was assured last week, when the main Lebanese political parties finally brokered a deal that would put Mr. Aoun, Hezbollah’s favored candidate, in the presidential palace. That agreement gave the prime minister’s post to Saad Hariri, a Sunni Muslim and former prime minister who is preferred by Saudi Arabia. Top positions in Lebanon are allocated by religious sect in a delicate balancing act.

The resolution of Lebanon’s painfully drawn-out leadership battle marks a small victory for Iran on the score card of its regional struggle against Saudi Arabia, which had indirectly pushed for a different presidential candidate, Suleiman Frangieh. The choice kicks down the road any decisive action to revamp the dysfunctional consensus model for Lebanon’s political system, which enables any of the country’s sectarian warlords to veto government decisions. As a result, Lebanon has been unable to effectively address any of its recurring crises, including questions as diverse as how to manage millions of refugees or how to pick up the garbage.

“I believe that for the time being and for the foreseeable future, nothing is going to change,” said Ramez Dagher, an analyst who runs a blog about Lebanese politics called Moulahazat. Unless there are other secret agreements, Mr. Dagher said, which is always a possibility in Lebanon, then Mr. Aoun comes into office unusually free from constraints, other than choosing Mr. Hariri as prime minister. “He is in a better position to maneuver,” Mr. Dagher said. “But that might also mean that the deadlock might be transferred from the presidential elections to the government formation and everything else that comes afterward.” In a combative inaugural address to Parliament, Mr. Aoun vowed to defend Lebanon from terrorism, strengthen the military and take measures to push Syrian refugees to return home. “Lebanon is walking through a minefield but is still at a safe distance from the flames in the region,” he said. “One of our priorities is to prevent igniting a spark and to adopt an independent foreign policy.” Known to his followers as “the General,” Mr. Aoun has pursued the presidency for decades. In the 1980s, during Lebanon’s civil war, he served as chief of staff of the army and led one of two rival Lebanese governments. During the last two years of that war, from 1989 to 1991, Mr. Aoun’s forces clashed with rival Christian militia groups and with the Syrian military — a round of fighting that did nothing to alter the final outcome of the conflict but was one of its most destructive and violent chapters. Mr. Aoun boycotted the peace talks that ended the war.

Mr. Aoun won much of his popular support because of his reputation for independence. He has railed against Lebanese corruption and the tradition of warlords’ handing political parties from father to son. The political party that Mr. Aoun founded in 2005 upon return from a 15-year exile in France, the Free Patriotic Movement, immediately emerged as the dominant Christian political party in Lebanon. Soon after, Mr. Aoun rocked Lebanon’s political landscape by making peace with Syria, his longtime enemy, during a visit to Damascus. In 2006, he formed an alliance with Hezbollah. As his party garnered greater power, however, Mr. Aoun’s maverick reputation took a beating. His son-in-law, Gebran Bassil, has been accused of graft and corruption. But that did not stop Mr. Aoun from handing over the party’s leadership to Mr. Bassil in 2015, in an opaque transition that many party activists decried as antithetical to the party’s stated democratic principles. Lebanon has reeled under the strain of the civil war next door in Syria, which at times has spilled over the border. At least 1.5 million displaced Syrians have fled to Lebanon, meaning that one in three residents of Lebanon is a refugee. And the country’s main political factions support opposing sides in Syria.

The previous president, Michel Suleiman — also a former army chief of staff — finished his term in May 2014. Since then, Lebanon has navigated a series of political crises with a caretaker cabinet but with no president. The major political parties in the country had been deadlocked in the search for a consensus president. They failed to negotiate a new election law, which had been another major sticking point, but finally reached a deal on Mr. Aoun and Mr. Hariri, while leaving the rest of Lebanon’s affairs in limbo. The parties reached the agreement after years of discussions, in close consultation with representatives from foreign powers including Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United States. Traditionally, Lebanese politics has reflected regional and international power struggles, most notably the competition between Iran and Saudi Arabia for influence across the Arab world. But, some analysts say, those two regional powers largely lost interest in Lebanon as their power struggle intensified in Syria. The Saudis grew disenchanted with Mr. Hariri and his political vehicle, the Future Movement, which steadily lost influence over its Sunni constituents after the assassination of Mr. Hariri’s father, Rafik, in 2005.

“As the theater of conflict between the stakeholders in the Middle East has shifted to places like Syria and Yemen, Lebanon has become less significant,” said Elias Muhanna, a historian at Brown University and an expert on Lebanese politics. “The reins have slackened between Lebanon’s political parties and their regional backers, and the country has drifted aimlessly for the past five years.” Iran and its local ally, Hezbollah, have had the upper hand in Lebanon since Saad Hariri was forced to resign as prime minister in January 2011.

By Naharnet

President Michel Aoun received phone calls Monday from a number of heads of state who congratulated him on being elected as Lebanon's 13th president.

French President Francois Hollande expressed “France's permanent readiness to help Lebanon in light of the historic ties that gather the two countries,” Lebanon's National News Agency reported.

Aoun for his part thanked Hollande for congratulating him, stressing “the firmness of the Lebanese-French ties” and lauding “the efforts that France has exerted to assist Lebanon in all fields.”

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani meanwhile congratulated Aoun and hoped his election will boost bilateral ties between Lebanon and Iran.

“Your election comes at a very critical time during which the region is facing the threats of the takfiri movements and the terrorist groups and the ambitions of the Zionist entity (Israel). Iran is confident that your election will strengthen the axis of the Lebanese resistance in the face of these threat,” Rouhani added.

Aoun also received congratulatory phone calls from Syrian President Bashar Assad, Qatar's emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Assad hoped Aoun's election would contribute to "reinforcing stability" in Lebanon, Syria's state news agency SANA said.

Aoun's election ends a presidential void that lasted around two and a half years.

Analysts have warned that Aoun's election will not be a "magic wand" for Lebanon, which has seen longstanding political divisions exacerbated by the war in neighboring Syria and has struggled to deal with an influx of more than a million Syrian refugees.

In addition to pledges of economic growth and security, Aoun said in his oath of office that Lebanon must work to ensure Syrian refugees "can return quickly" to their country.

The Daily Star BEIRUT: President Michel Aoun’s rival candidate Sleiman Frangieh was among the first of Lebanon’s political leaders to congratulate him Monday following his victory in the presidential election. “I congratulated Gen. Aoun. He is the president for all of Lebanon, and he is our ally in politics. Our political path [has emerged] victorious,” the Marada Movement leader told reporters as he was leaving the Parliament vote session. Frangieh and Aoun, both hailing from the March 8 coalition, were frontrunners in the presidential race. Frangieh made his comments just two days after he urged his supporters to submit blank ballots in Monday’s vote, saying that he wanted to record his position in an election that Aoun was widely expected to win.

Aoun's main ally, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah, held a phone conversation with the president to congratulate him and wish him good luck with his new responsibilities, a statement issued by the party's media office said.  The Free Patriotic Movement founder’s presidential ambitions were all but secured after Future Movement leader Saad Hariri shifted his support from Frangieh to Aoun earlier this month. “We hope there will be a national unity government for all the Lebanese,” Hariri told reporters. “We now have a president, and we will work together with him on every issue that will be good for Lebanon,” said MP Fouad Siniora, the leader of the Future Movement’s parliamentary bloc. Siniora was among the few opposing voices within the Future Movement against Aoun. Meanwhile, Speaker Nabih Berri, who had opposed Aoun’s presidency, expressed hope that the era of the newly-elected president would turn a new page in Lebanon’s history.

"We pledge to you to lead the ship to the shores of safety, as winds and waves surrounding us are threatening more divisions. ... Your election should be the start and not the end," the speaker said, expressing Parliament's readiness to "extend the hand" to rise in Lebanon. Aoun managed to secure 83 votes in the second round of the presidential election session. He needed just 65 to win.

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt, who shifted his support to Aoun over the weekend, called on all factions to cooperate and put their differences aside in this “new page” for Lebanon. Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea also stressed cooperation between political parties, saying it will “guarantee" a new era.

Geagea declared support for Aoun, his war-time enemy, earlier this year. Aoun’s arrival at the presidency was also welcomed on the international front. The European Union's High Representative Federica Mogherini lauded Aoun’s election.

"The election of Michel Aoun as President of the Republic of Lebanon more than two years after the end of term of his predecessor is crucial for the future of the country," a statement from her office said. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted: “Congratulations to all Lebanese on election of President Aoun. Stability and progress assured when Lebanese themselves decide for Lebanon.”

Italian President Sergio Mattarella released a statement saying that he hopes this election will be a "sign of the will of the Lebanese political forces to work together" for stability and development in the country.

The International Support Group for Lebanon congratulated Aoun on his victory, describing it as a long-awaited step to overcome Lebanon’s political and institutional crises.

The ISGL, made up ambassadors from the Arab League, the EU and the United Nations Security Council, was established to help Lebanon better cope with the Syrian refugee crisis by supporting state institutions and the Lebanese Army.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in a statement carried out by his country's mission in Beirut that the positive political event "puts an end to political stalemate ... and give hope that the Lebanese democracy was strong enough to overcome challenges."

The statement described Lebanon as a "model for coexistence," prioritizing its "stability and prosperity.”

Hamas representative in Lebanon Ali Barakeh joined the list of congratulators, hoping that the new president would be able to "lead Lebanon to the safety, prosperity and stability shores."

He urged Aoun for a "comprehensive approach to the Palestinians' conditions."

by naharnet

The U.S. on Monday described Michel Aoun's election as president of Lebanon as a “moment of opportunity,” while urging the next government to “uphold Lebanon’s international obligations.”

“The United States congratulates the people of Lebanon on the election of President Michel Aoun, in accordance with Lebanon’s constitution. This is a moment of opportunity, as Lebanon emerges from years of political impasse, to restore government functions and build a more stable and prosperous future for all Lebanese citizens,” said U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby in a statement.

“As Lebanon forms a new government, we look to all parties to uphold Lebanon’s international obligations, including those contained in U.N. Security Council Resolutions 1559 and 1701,” he added.

Kirby also underlined that Washington will “continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Lebanese people and support Lebanon’s independence, sovereignty, security, and stability.”

The U.S. Embassy in Lebanon meanwhile took to Twitter to congratulate the Lebanese people and Aoun on “today’s election and this moment of opportunity for Lebanon.”

Resolution 1701 ended the 2006 war between Hizbullah and Israel while Resolution 1559 calls for the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon, including Aoun's ally Hizbullah.

Earlier in the day, Lebanese lawmakers ended a lengthy political vacuum by electing as president ex-army chief Aoun, who promised to protect the country from spillover from the war in Syria.

Syria's five-year war has been a major fault line for Lebanon's political class, and analysts have warned Aoun's election will not be a "magic wand" for divisions that have long plagued parliamentarians.

The next challenge will be forming a government, which is expected to take months of wrangling. Presidential media office chief Rafik Chlala told reporters consultations on naming a premier would begin within 48 hours.

The parliament that elected Aoun has twice extended its own mandate, avoiding elections, because of disagreements over a new electoral law.

Aoun had long eyed the presidency, and his candidacy was backed from the beginning by Iran-backed Hizbullah, his ally since a surprise rapprochement in 2006.

Aoun was tipped to become president after receiving key support for his nomination earlier this month from al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri, who is close to Saudi Arabia.

By The Daily Star BEIRUT: Free Patriotic Movement MP Ibrahim Kanaan Sunday called on foreign powers to accept Lebanon’s agreement over the presidency, saying that Michel Aoun will be the first truly Lebanese head of state in decades. In an interview with Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3), Kanaan said that Lebanon was on the verge of “collapse and disintegration” if political factions did not reach an understanding on the president.
 His comments come one day before Lebanese lawmakers are set to head to Parliament to elect a new head of state, ending the more than two-year presidential vacuum. FPM founder, Aoun, is expected to be voted president, as he has secured the support of the country’s main factions including Hezbollah, the Lebanese Forces and most recently, the Future Movement. “The election of Aoun is the only solution to preserve the state and constitution by reactivating the work of the institutions,” Kanaan said. He added that as president, Aoun will work to build good ties with everyone and not get involved in the affairs of regional states and their conflicts.

“He will try to find a middle ground in the disputes between different sides and political factions concerning many issues,” he noted. Kanaan said that following the elections, Aoun will immediately begin consultations with politicians on the formation of a new government. “The Cabinet is the right place for the development and applications of the (country’s) future visions,” Kanaan said.

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Al Jazeera Beirut - Lebanon is on the brink of filling its presidential vacuum after two-and-a-half years without a leader.  On October 20, Saad Hariri, the leader of the Future Movement, endorsed his political opponent, former general Michel Aoun, for president. Hariri - the son of former prime minister Rafik Hariri, who was assassinated in 2005 - said that his endorsement was made in the interest of Lebanon's overall well-being.

But some of his party's most notable figures quickly condemned Hariri's endorsement of Aoun, whom Hezbollah has supported from the beginning. The endorsement signals a weakening of the Future Movement. The next parliamentary session to elect a president will be held on Monday. If Aoun moves into Baabda Palace as president, what will that mean for Lebanon? With a president finally in place, will the Lebanese government be able to take a more proactive role in confronting the major security and economic issues facing the country?

Many Lebanese citizens say no. Julia, a Beirut resident and owner of a small family business, is not optimistic that having a president will improve Lebanon's fragile and indebted economy. "Lebanon's rulers have been changing alliances and making different kinds of deals," said Julia, who did not provide a last name. "It's what we expect from them. I don't see a new president leading to the improvement of the economy - at least not for ordinary people."

Like Julia, political activist Rana Khoury believes that it will be business as usual with a new president. "The cake would be once again divided between sectarian leaders, and the people are always paying the price," she said. Nor would having a president necessarily put an end to Lebanon's ongoing political crisis. Bassel Salloukh, a professor of political science at the Lebanese American University in Beirut, said the recent developments reflect Lebanon's post-war politics, characterised by perpetual crises.

According to Salloukh, the endorsement is symptomatic of a crisis within Lebanon's sectarian elite: "My guess is that, in the coming months, we are going to witness an intensification of this crisis." For instance, the election of a president could be followed by another struggle over forming a new cabinet. Allocating ministerial positions in such a way that maintains political and sectarian balance could take months.

In some respects, Lebanon has been lucky: The current presidential vacuum has not appeared to majorly harm the country. Aside from Lebanon's rubbish crisis, the result of an emergency plan implemented in 1997, no new domestic political issues have emerged since former President Michel Suleiman's term ended in 2014. Lebanon experienced a much more severe political crisis in 2008 during its last presidential vacuum. That May, violent clashes broke out between Hezbollah and its allies against opposing militias, the most intense fighting since the end of the civil war. It was not until an agreement was signed in Doha that Suleiman was chosen as a consensus presidential candidate. The country was relieved, and the Doha Agreement and Suleiman's election put an end to the clashes.

While many doubt that having a president will lead to any real change, some civil society activists worry that Hariri's endorsement and its political repercussions could actually make their position worse. Last year, Lebanon's garbage crisis sparked months of anti-establishment protests by groups unaffiliated with political parties. Activist Samer Abdullah said that during this time, relations between Lebanon's two rival political factions - the March 8 Alliance and the March 14 Alliance - thawed somewhat, and a new narrative emerged: The people versus a single political establishment.

However, the new web of alliances and rivalries created by Hariri's endorsement could bring about a return of "ruling" and "opposition" factions within the establishment. "With political leaders like [Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt] and [Amal leader Nabih Berri] opposing Aoun as president, there is now a more defined political opposition," Abdullah said. This, he believes, may shrink the political space available for independent movements and threaten the momentum they had achieved.

Twenty-seven years ago, when the Taif Agreement was signed to put an end Lebanon's brutal 15-year civil war, Lebanon had the potential to thoroughly rebuild itself from the ground up. And it has been rebuilt in a physical sense, with the rubble left by the fighting in downtown Beirut replaced by skyscrapers. But many Lebanese sense that the country's political establishment remains largely the same - even when new alliances form between politicians once entirely at odds with each other, such as Saad Hariri and Michel Aoun. Source: Al Jazeera

By Tom Perry and Laila Bassam | BEIRUT

Twenty-six years after being forced from Lebanon's presidential palace and into exile by the Syrian army, Michel Aoun is set to be elected head of state on Monday, backed by many of his old enemies. Barring a surprise, many of Lebanon's sectarian politicians will back the 81-year-old Christian leader in the parliamentary vote. Aoun can rely for support on Iranian-backed Hezbollah, with which he has been allied for a decade. But he will fulfill his long-held ambition thanks to the unlikely endorsement of Sunni leader Saad al-Hariri, who waged political war for years against the Shi'ite Hezbollah movement and its allies with Saudi backing.

Hariri is to become prime minister under the new deal which he hatched with Aoun. Aoun's election would end a 29-month-long vacuum in the presidency, part of a political crisis that has paralyzed Lebanon's government and raised concerns over its future as civil war rages in neighboring Syria. However, doubts remain over his ability to forge the cross-community consensus needed to make his administration succeed. "I do not know to what degree he will be able to reconcile the great contradictions that his rule will group together," said Nabil Boumonsef, a political commentator at An-Nahar newspaper. An Aoun victory would mark a remarkable turn of fortune for the former general who fought two wars in the late 1980s at the end of Lebanon's 1975-90 civil war – one against Syria and the other against rival Christian forces.

His subsequent alliance with Hezbollah backed by its Syrian and Iranian patrons helped to cement divisions in the once dominant Maronite Christian community. But it also angered the United States, which views Hezbollah - a heavily armed group and Syria's strongest Lebanese ally - as a terrorist organization. His election will also be viewed as a victory for Hezbollah, Tehran and Damascus over Hariri's Sunni allies in Riyadh at a time when Saudi Arabia has appeared to retreat from Lebanon as it prioritizes fighting Iran in the Gulf. It will also raise questions over Western policy towards Lebanon, whose army depends on U.S. military aid.

Triggered by financial misfortune, Hariri's concession is seen as the last resort to secure the political survival of a man who has accused Syria of killing his father, Rafik. Hariri's standing in Lebanon has been hit by the financial crisis caused by troubles at his Saudi-based construction firm.

UNLIKELY SPECTRUM

Parliament is due to convene at noon (0900 GMT) on Monday to elect the president. If Aoun doesn't secure the two-thirds majority required to win in the first round, he seems certain to prevail in a second, where he needs 65 votes in the 128-seat chamber. His opponent is Suleiman Franjieh, a fellow Maronite Christian, who is unlikely to command much support. Under Lebanon's sectarian system of government, the presidency is reserved for a member of this community.

Aoun, who headed one of two rival governments in 1988-90, has long coveted the post. His victory would mark a new phase in Lebanese politics, and the final collapse of the Saudi-backed alliance that had struggled against Hezbollah and its allies since the 2005 assassination of Rafik al-Hariri.

Hariri and his allies initially accused Syria of killing Rafik. A U.N.-backed tribunal later charged five Hezbollah members over the killing. Hezbollah denies any role.  Aoun inspires both adulation and enmity in Lebanon, where he made his name as a combatant in the 1975-90 civil war, like many Lebanese politicians. With Aoun heading the biggest Christian party in parliament, it will be the first time since the war that one of Lebanon's main Maronite leaders becomes president.

The unlikely spectrum of support for his candidacy includes civil wartime enemies Samir Geagea, a rival Christian, and Druze leader Walid Jumblatt. But he still has powerful adversaries opposed to his election, foremost among them the influential Parliament Speaker and Shi'ite leader Nabih Berri.

Hezbollah's steadfast backing for Aoun has been critical to getting him this close to the presidency. Last year Hariri proposed Franjieh, another Hezbollah ally, for the position. But rather than ditching Aoun, Hezbollah declared him "the obligatory path" to the presidency. Aoun is a controversial figure abroad as well as in Lebanon, with a reputation for erratic decision-making.

After lobbying for years against Syria from exile, he returned to Lebanon in 2005 after Syrian forces withdrew from the country in the wake of the Hariri killing. Aoun received a hero's welcome from supporters in Beirut's Martyrs Square.

Less than a year later, he struck his alliance with Hezbollah, positioning himself squarely in the pro-Damascus camp that later mobilized to try to topple the U.S.-backed government at the time.

Aoun's move to Hezbollah drew anger from the United States which believed he had given political cover for it to keep its weapons and "moved a long way" from his support for a U.N. resolution that sought the disarmament of all militias in Lebanon, according to a U.S. diplomatic cable published by Wikileaks.

In the 2006 cable, then U.S. ambassador Jeffrey Feltman concluded Aoun's presidential ambitions were "overriding any other concern". Aoun told the Americans the alliance was an attempt to draw Hezbollah into the political mainstream.

TWO WARS

In the final years of the Lebanese war, Aoun led one of two rival governments and set up his administration at the presidential palace at Baabda, southeast of Beirut.

In that period, he fought the "War of Liberation" against the Syrian army and the "War of Cancellation" against the Christian Lebanese Forces militia. The Maronites lost much of their political power in the deal that ended the war - an agreement Aoun had initially opposed.

Aoun visited Syria in 2009, where he met President Bashar al-Assad. In a 2014 interview, Assad said he would welcome Aoun's election as president, calling him a believer in "the resistance" - a reference to Hezbollah.

Hezbollah is fighting in Syria in support of Assad.

Aoun has defended Hezbollah's role in Syria, saying that it was defending Lebanon and Lebanese Christians from the threat of jihadist militancy. Hezbollah's Lebanese opponents say its role there increases the risks to the country.

(Writing by Tom Perry; editing by David Stamp)

By csmonitor.com - Beirut, Lebanon — Lebanon’s lengthy impasse over electing a new president appears to be almost over after Saad Hariri, a former prime minister, made a bold and politically risky decision to support a political rival for the top seat.

Lebanon has been without a president since May 2014, when the last incumbent, Michel Suleiman, stepped down at the end of his six-year term. The absence of a head of state has been costly, not only hampering parliament's ability to pass legislation and hold elections but causing economic deterioration and underperforming state institutions, including a garbage collection crisis that has lasted more than a year.

The 128-seat Parliament, which elects presidents, has convened 45 times over the past 2-1/2 years.

Aoun wins Jumblatt's support for presidency

By Daily Star - BEIRUT: Presidential hopeful MP Michel Aoun Friday secured the support of the majority of Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt's parliamentary bloc for the upcoming election session. “The majority of the [Democratic Gathering ] bloc agreed to support Aoun for the presidency,” Jumblatt, the head of the bloc, told reporters.

However, he said that the bloc will hold a final meeting Saturday. “Some might object but most of them [bloc members] are with his candidacy and election after 2-1/2-years of vacuum,” Jumblatt said. Jumblatt's backing guarantees Aoun major parliamentary support for the presidential election parliamentary session scheduled for Monday. He has already gained the support of the Future Movement, the Lebanese Forces, Hezbollah and some of its March 8 allies.

Aoun thanked Jumblatt for his support. Ahead of his talks with Aoun, the PSP leader met with Speaker Nabih Berri, who strongly opposes the election of the Change and Reform leader.

"I explained to Berri my stance from Monday's session. If there are any differences, they are mild," Jumblatt said, describing Berri as a "statesman, who is keen to protect Lebanon's stability and institutions."

Aoun, accompanied by Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, met with Prime Minister Tammam Salam at the Grand Serail ahead of his talks with Jumblatt at the latter's residence in Beirut's Clemenceau neighborhood.

A statement issued by the premiership’s press office said talks focused on recent local developments.

Jumblatt's declaration means that he has dropped his support for Aoun's rival, Marada Movement leader MP Sleiman Frangieh.

The meeting was held in presence of MP Henri Helou, who was nominated by Jumblatt in April 2014 for the post.

A candidate needs a two-thirds majority, or 86 MPs, to be elected president in the first round of voting. But in the second round, an absolute majority, or 65 MPs, is sufficient to declare a candidate a winner.

Frangieh, a key figure in the Hezbollah-led March 8 coalition, is determined to stay in the presidential race, despite former Prime Minister Saad Hariri dropping his support in favor of Aoun.

Hariri's decision was made after political consultations with various rivals in Lebanon and an international tour that led him to Moscow, Riyadh and Paris.