Bassil declares votes for Aoun as spoiled

Lebanese lawmakers are set to vote for a new president on Thursday, but divisions persist among political factions regarding the leading candidate, Army Chief Joseph Aoun. Aoun appears to have the backing of international powers, including the United States, France, and Saudi Arabia, but faces resistance from some domestic parties.

The Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), led by Jebran Bassil, has not officially declared its candidate. Bassil has argued that electing Aoun would violate the constitution, stating in an interview with LBCI that any vote for Aoun in the January 9 session should be considered invalid. Instead, he has expressed support for former finance minister and International Monetary Fund official Jihad Azour, as well as acting security chief Elias Baissari.

Bassil emphasized that when the FPM proposed Azour over a year ago, he was not intended as a confrontational candidate. However, Hezbollah dismissed Azour as a “confrontation and challenge candidate” after the FPM and opposition reached an agreement on his name. Bassil called for greater flexibility from Amal and Hezbollah, urging them to build consensus with other parties, including the Lebanese Forces (LF).

The LF has yet to officially nominate a candidate, though its leader, Samir Geagea, has expressed a willingness to consider supporting Aoun if Hezbollah and Amal formally endorse him. Geagea, who has previously hinted at running for president himself, remains undecided.

Aoun has received backing from several factions, including the Kataeb party, independent MPs, and the Democratic Gathering bloc of the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP). However, Hezbollah and Amal remain hesitant to support his candidacy. Reports suggest that their preferred candidate will not be announced until the voting session. While Hezbollah has reportedly vetoed Geagea, they have not ruled out Aoun. Meanwhile, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a key Hezbollah ally, has opposed any constitutional amendments that might facilitate Aoun’s election.

The Lebanese constitution states that presidential candidates must not have held high public office within the past two years, a provision that could disqualify Aoun. If elected, Aoun would become Lebanon’s fifth army commander to assume the presidency and the fourth consecutive one to do so.