Today's Edition
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AFP)
Lebanese lawmakers could elect army chief Joseph Aoun as president Thursday after more than two years of deadlock, in a much-needed step to help lift the war-battered country out of financial crisis.
The legislative session comes with 17 days remaining in a ceasefire that called for the deployment of Lebanese troops alongside UN peacekeepers as Israeli forces withdraw from the country's south.
The 128-lawmaker chamber, which has failed to reach consensus a dozen times amid tensions between the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement and its opponents, kicked off their session at 11:00 am (0900 GMT).
With international pressure mounting for a successful vote, ambassadors of several countries were present in the chamber as the meeting began.
The Mediterranean country has been without a president since Michel Aoun's term ended in October 2022. The two men share a family name but are not related.
The president's powers have been reduced since the end of the 1975-1990 civil war, but filling the position is key to overseeing consultations towards naming a new prime minister, who would lead a new government capable of carrying out reforms demanded by international creditors.
