Wadau hamjamboni nyote?
Habari njema sana
Joseph ndiye Rais mpya Lebanon akichaguliwa kwa kura 99 kati ya 129
Amehudhuria mafunzo maalumu ya kijeshi ya kupambana na ugaidi nchini Marekani mwaka 2008
Mgombea anayeungwa mkono na magaidi ya Hezbollah amejitoa kwenye uchaguzi baada ya kuona mambo yamekuwa magumu
Taarifa kamili hapo chini kwa kimombo:
Lebanon army chief elected president, drawing Israeli hopes for postwar stability
US and Saudi-backed Joseph Aoun, tasked with upholding ceasefire ending fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, promises state monopoly on arms, ‘new phase’ for beat up country
By Agencies, ToI Staff and Lazar Berman Follow
Today, 8:06 pm
Lebanon’s lawmakers elected on Thursday army chief Joseph Aoun as president on Thursday, ending a stalemate that left the post vacant for two years, in a step toward lifting the war-battered country out of financial ruin and solidifying a ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah terror group.
Israel was swift to congratulate Beirut on picking Aoun, and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar expressed hope for “good neighborliness” as the new Lebanese leader indicated that he would keep Hezbollah on a tight leash and uphold the fragile truce that ended its fight with Israel in late November.
Aoun was widely seen as the preferred candidate of the United States and Saudi Arabia, whose assistance Lebanon will need as it seeks to rebuild following Israel’s campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah.
The session was the legislature’s 13th attempt to elect a successor to Michel Aoun, whose term ended in October 2022. The two Aouns are not related.
Hezbollah had previously backed another candidate, Suleiman Frangieh, the leader of a small Christian party in northern Lebanon with close ties to deposed Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. However, on Wednesday, Frangieh announced he had withdrawn from the race and endorsed Aoun, clearing the way for the army chief.
“The president is Joseph Aoun,” Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah, said after 99 lawmakers out of 128 backed his candidacy.
Aoun, who turns 61 on Friday, arrived inside parliament to swear his oath to general applause, wearing a dark suit and bright blue tie instead of his usual military uniform.
“A new phase in the history of Lebanon begins today,” he told the chamber, adding that he would call for “quick parliamentary consultations” on naming a new prime minister.
Aoun also vowed to ensure that the state would have “a monopoly” on the right to carry arms, referring to the Hezbollah terror group’s extensive arsenal, which he had not commented on publicly as commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces.
Lebanese forces have failed to uphold two UN Security Council resolutions demanding the disarmament of all of Lebanon’s various militias, and the withdrawal of Hezbollah north of the Litani River — about 30 kilometers (18 miles) from its border with Israel.
The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah signed in late November is the latest attempt by the US to encourage the Lebanese army to enforce the 19-year-old measure. Under the deal, Israel has until January 26 to withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon.
Aoun said that under his leadership, “the Lebanese state — I repeat the Lebanese state” would discuss a “comprehensive defense strategy” to ensure the withdrawal of all Israeli forces from southern Lebanon “and deter its aggression.”
The statement was met with loud applause from lawmakers, although Hezbollah parliamentarians sat sill.
He promised to rebuild south Lebanon and other parts of the country he said had been destroyed by the fighting with Israel.
“Today, a new phase in the history of Lebanon begins,” he said.
Despite the two nations’ official status as enemies, Sa’ar congratulated Lebanon on Aoun’s election, and expressed hope that it would “contribute to strengthening stability, a better future for Lebanon and its residents, and good neighborliness.”
US Ambassador to Lebanon Lisa Johnson said she was “very happy” with Aoun’s election as president.
His election reflected shifts in the power balance in Lebanon and the wider Middle East, with Iran significantly weakened by Hezbollah’s heavy losses at the hands of Israel as well as the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria.
It also indicated a revival of Saudi influence in a country where Riyadh’s role was eclipsed by Iran and Hezbollah long ago.
Iran’s embassy in Beirut nevertheless welcomed Aoun’s election and expressed hope for close cooperation between the two countries.
“We congratulate brotherly Lebanon for the election of General Joseph Aoun,” said the embassy in a statement on X, adding that “we look forward to working together… and to cooperate in different fields in a way that serves the common interests for our countries.”
As the head of the Lebanese military, Aoun had been tasked with upholding the US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.