Beirut, Jan 13 (IANS) Lebanon’s new President Joseph Aoun began binding parliamentary consultations on Monday to nominate a Prime Minister to form the first government of his term, according to the official National News Agency.
Aoun’s consultations got underway with a meeting with Deputy Speaker of Parliament Elias Bou Saab. Throughout the day, Aoun is expected to meet independently with parliamentary blocs and independent parliament members, and conclude with a meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and President of the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Judge Nawaf Salam, are seen as the main contenders.
The opposition candidate, Parliament Member Fouad Makhzoumi, and the candidate of the Force of Changes, Ibrahim Mneimneh, announced the withdrawal of their candidacy in two separate statements earlier for a consensus on the broadest support for Salam.
According to the prevailing political custom in the country, a Sunni assumes the position of Prime Minister, while the President is always a Christian from the Maronite sect. The position of speaker of parliament goes to a Muslim from the Shiite sect.
According to Lebanon’s constitution, the president designates the Prime Minister to form the government after consultations with all political parties and independent lawmakers in parliament. By convention, he chooses the candidate with the most votes during these consultations, Xinhua news agency reported.
Aoun was elected President in the second round of the presidential vote held on Thursday, ending a two-year presidential vacuum that had paralyzed the country’s political system. In his inaugural speech, Aoun pledged to end the “Israeli occupation” of Lebanon, establish the state’s right to monopolize the carrying of weapons and implement many reforms.
The newly-elected President Joseph Aoun had announced Saturday that he will visit Saudi Arabia at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud.
The Saudi Crown Prince extended the invitation during a phone call with Aoun, according to a statement by the Lebanese presidency. Aoun accepted the invitation and said the visit would be his first foreign trip as President, highlighting the kingdom’s pivotal role in supporting Lebanon.
During the phone conversation, the Saudi Crown Prince congratulated Aoun on his election as President. The two leaders also discussed recent developments and ways to strengthen bilateral ties.
Aoun, Lebanon’s former army chief, was elected the 14th President of Lebanon on Thursday, with 99 out of 128 parliamentary votes in the second round of the presidential vote.
His victory marked the end of more than two years of presidential vacancy in Lebanon.
Political division in Lebanon resulted in a vacant presidential position following the end of former President Michel Aoun’s term on October 31, 2022. The parliament had failed to elect a president for the country in 12 electoral sessions. A caretaker government has been running the country during the presidential vacuum.
Joseph Aoun, 60, who is not related to Michel Aoun, is widely considered the preferred candidate of the United States and Saudi Arabia, whose support will be crucial for Lebanon’s reconstruction following a 14-month conflict between Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, according to analysts, reports Xinhua news agency.
–IANS
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