Sawt Falasteen - Lebanon army chief set to become president in second parliament 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.

Aoun, who will turn 61 on Friday, is widely seen as the preferred pick of army backer the United States, as well as regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia.

But lawmakers from the pro-Hezbollah bloc voted blank in the first round of the vote, a source close to them said, leaving the army chief short of the required two-thirds majority to win outright.

The source said representatives from the bloc met Aoun at the parliament during a break before lawmakers returned for a second vote.

In the commander's home village of Aishiyeh in south Lebanon, residents had gathered from the morning in front of the church, adorned with several Lebanese flags and his portrait.

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.

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.

T.Ibrahim--SF-PST