Former Lebanese army general Michel Aoun is elected president of the country, ending a political stalemate of more than two years.
Lawmakers convene at noon for their 46th attempt to elect a president, but the first to actually produce a result.
The 81-year-old Maronite Christian long eyed the presidency, and his candidacy was backed by the powerful Shiite terror group Hezbollah movement, his ally since a surprise rapprochement in 2006.
But the key to clinching the post is the shock support of two of his greatest rivals: Samir Geagea, leader of the Christian Lebanese Forces, and Sunni former premier Saad Hariri.
Hariri says his endorsement of Aoun is necessary to “protect Lebanon, protect the (political) system, protect the state and protect the Lebanese people.”
— with AFP
A supporter of Michel Aoun holds his portrait and the Lebanese flag on the outskirts of Beirut, ahead of the October 31, 2016, parliament session that elected the ex-general as president. (AFP PHOTO/ANWAR AMRO)
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