Sawt Falasteen - Lebanon army chief short of required majority in first round of president vote

The Mediterranean country has been without a president since the term of Michel Aoun -- not related -- ended in October 2022, with tensions between the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement and its opponents scuppering a dozen previous votes.

But international pressure has mounted for a successful outcome with just 17 days remaining in a ceasefire to deploy Lebanese troops alongside UN peacekeepers in south Lebanon after a Hezbollah-Israel war last autumn.

On Thursday morning, 71 out of 128 lawmakers voted in favour of the army commander, short of the required 86, in the first round of the vote.

Thirty-seven members of parliament voted blank, including 30 lawmakers from the pro-Hezbollah bloc, according to a source close to it.

Twenty ballots where declared null and void.

Speaker Nabih Berri then suspended the session until 2:00 pm (1200 GMT), sparking outrage from some lawmakers who demanded an immediate second vote. It was not immediately clear if the parliament would hold a second round or a new session in the afternoon.

Aoun would only require a simple majority, or 65 votes, in the follow-up round.

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 to lead a government capable of carrying out reforms demanded by international creditors.

- 'Sovereignty and the constitution' -

Lebanon's divided political elite usually agrees on a consensus candidate before any successful parliamentary vote is held.

Aoun, who will turn 61 on Friday, appears to have the backing of the United States and key regional player Saudi Arabia.

US, Saudi and French envoys have visited Beirut to increase pressure in the run-up to the vote.

Pope Francis on Thursday expressed hope that Lebanon could "possess the necessary institutional stability... to address the grave economic and social situation".

Several lawmakers have objected to what they see as foreign interference in the vote.

In protest, some rendered their ballot void by voting for "sovereignty and the constitution", a reference to the fact that Aoun's election would also require a constitutional amendment.

Under Lebanon's constitution, any presidential candidate must have not held high office for at least two years. Aoun is still head of the army, after extending his mandate past his planned retirement.

One lawmaker sarcastically cast a vote for the Saudi envoy to Lebanon, Yazid Al Farhan.

Critics have accused Hezbollah and allies of scuppering previous votes.

But a full-fledged war between Israel and Hezbollah last autumn dealt heavy blows to the Shiite militant group, including the death of its longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah in an air strike.

In neighbouring Syria, Hezbollah has lost a major ally after rebels toppled President Bashar al-Assad last month.

Under multi-confessional Lebanon's power-sharing system, the president must be a Maronite Christian.

If elected, Aoun would be Lebanon's fifth army commander to become president, and the fourth in a row.

The new president faces daunting challenges, with the truce to oversee on the Israeli border and bomb-damaged neighbourhoods in the south, the east and the capital to rebuild.

Since 2019, Lebanon has been gripped by the worst financial crisis in its history.

The Hezbollah-Israel war has cost Lebanon more than $5 billion in economic losses, with structural damage amounting to billions more, according to the World Bank.

V.AbuAwwad--SF-PST