"Aoun, 60, was widely seen as the preferred candidate of the United States, which funds, trains and arms the Lebanese military and helped broker a ceasefire between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah in November... He received 99 out of 128 votes from across the political spectrum, including Hezbollah lawmakers and their rivals in parliament."
"The hope is that Aoun's election will allow long-needed reforms. The vote Thursday marked the first time since June 2023 that parliament had met to elect a president - and the 13th time since 2022, when Aoun's predecessor, Michel Aoun (no relation), stepped down at the end of his six-year term."
"Joseph Aoun will not only have to manage the implementation of the ceasefire, but also form a new government that can tackle postwar reconstruction. In November, the World Bank said in a preliminary assessment that the physical damage and economic loss from the war were estimated at $8.5 billion."
"Lebanon's political system has been deadlocked for years as cascading crises slowly tore the country apart, and the presidency has been vacant for more than two years."
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