BEIRUT – Lebanon’s parliament failed to elect a president for the 12th time on Wednesday, with neither Hezbollah-backed candidate Suleiman Frangieh nor former finance minister Jihad Azour receiving enough votes to win the first round of voting.
The failed vote would exacerbate sectarian tensions in Lebanon, which is already stuck in one of the world’s worst economic crises and experiencing unparalleled political stalemate with a cabinet that is only partially empowered and a legislature that is fragmented.
Following the first round of voting, MPs from Hezbollah and affiliated party Amal walked out, depriving the chamber of the quorum required to proceed to the second round.
Lebanon has been without a president for more than seven months, with the most recent election taking place on January 19.
The presidential election, which is reserved for a Maronite Christian under Lebanon’s fragile sectarian power-sharing arrangement, sets Frangieh against Azour, who has received the majority of support from Christian and independent MPs.
Analysts say the vote might further deepen a political impasse, lowering expectations of recovering the economy after three years of disaster, because neither party appears to have the numbers to get their candidate past the finish line.
Lebanon is confronting a twin power vacuum, with the country controlled for more than a year by a caretaker ministry with restricted powers.
The premiership is traditionally held by a Sunni Muslim, whereas the position of parliament speaker is held by a Shiite Muslim.
The international community has urged politicians to choose a presidential candidate who can help the country implement the reforms needed to free billions of dollars in foreign loans.
Frangieh, a former congressman and minister who is close to Syrian President Bashar Assad, comes from a renowned family dynasty, as do many other notable political players in Lebanon.
Despite his controversial relationships, he claimed to be “the president of all Lebanese” on Sunday.
Azour served as finance minister from 2005 to 2008 and has stood down as director of the International Monetary Fund’s Middle East and Central Asia section in preparation for the presidential election.
The winner requires a two-thirds majority, or 86 votes from the parliament’s 128 members — but Hezbollah and its allies have posted defective ballots to disrupt past polls.
Quorum was lost before a second round of voting, in which the winner just needed 65 votes, could take place.
Hezbollah and its allies used a similar strategy in the last presidential election, leaving Lebanon without a president for more than two years until Michel Aoun’s victory in 2016.
If Azour receives more than 60 votes, it would signify a significant “reversal of fortune for Hezbollah,” according to Bitar, as well as substantial cross-sectarian “opposition to Hezbollah hegemony on the Lebanese political landscape.”
“However, at this stage, the most likely scenario is a prolonged vacuum,” Bitar warned.
Azour launched his candidacy for the position on Monday, saying he wants to “contribute to a solution” rather than a problem.
He stated that he was “not defying anyone,” after Hezbollah referred to him as the “defiance and confrontation candidate.”
The head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary caucus, Mohammed Raad, has accused Azour’s supporters of not wanting him to be elected but of “using him” to obstruct Frangieh’s road to the presidency.
A impasse on Wednesday’s voting, according to Bitar, may open the way for protracted negotiations “that would ultimately reach a third-man solution.”
The US and France repeated demands on Tuesday for Lebanese MPs to work together to elect a new president.
Anne-Claire Legendre, a spokesperson for France’s foreign ministry, encouraged lawmakers to “take this date seriously” and “not waste another opportunity.”
Source: AFP/Reuters
