BEIRUT, (Reuters) – The Lebanese parliament elected former army commander Michel Aoun as president on Monday, ending a 29-month presidential vacuum as part of a political deal that is expected to make Sunni Muslim leader Saad al-Hariri prime minister. He won 84 votes in the first round of voting, not quite enough to secure the necessary two-thirds majority in the 128-seat parliament, according to the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar television station In a second round, Aoun surpassed the 50%-plus-one quorum requirement with 83 votes, Al-Manar reported. The Lebanese presidency is reserved for a Maronite Christian in the country’s sectarian power-sharing system. Hariri, the son of slain former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri , and who has close ties to Saudi Arabia, backed Aoun's nomination in a move that could be seen as a political win for Iranian-backed Hezbollah and its allies. Four years later, the then-President Amin Gemayel appointed Aoun as interim prime minister before stepping down with no replacement.
Michel Aoun is elected President of Lebanon following 29 months of parliamentary deadlock to fill the position.