Since October 2022, the Lebanese parliament has failed to elect a president after former President Michel Aoun's term ended, despite holding 12 parliamentary sessions.

The Lebanese Parliament will convene for its 13th session on Thursday, aiming to elect the 14th President of the Republic, marking over two years of the fifth presidential vacancy in Lebanon's history.

Let's dive into the electoral session, the top candidates, what constitutional powers the elected President will have, and the electoral process. 

Top candidates

Three primary candidates are being considered for President of the Lebanese Republic: Joseph Aoun, Jihad Azour, and Elias Al-Baysari.

Joseph Aoun

Joseph Aoun is the current Commander of the Lebanese Army, a position he has held since March 8, 2017, after succeeding General Jean Kahwaji. His military career in the army began in 1983.

Aoun was promoted to Brigadier General in 2013 and continued to advance through the military ranks, achieving the rank of General in 2017. That same year, he was appointed Commander of the Army, a role he held during one of Lebanon's most sensitive periods.

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Lebanon faced significant security and political challenges during this period, including the notable "Dawn of the Outskirts" battle in 2017. In this operation, the Lebanese Army, in cooperation with Resistance forces, fought against terrorist organizations on the outskirts of the towns of Arsal and al-Qaa, located on the Syrian border.

The country also faced significant security challenges following the outbreak of protests on October 17, 2019, and the prolonged Israeli war on Lebanon in 2023, which lasted over 60 days. These events placed new responsibilities on the Lebanese Army, particularly with the signing of the ceasefire agreement.

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If Parliament elects Joseph Aoun as President of the Republic, he will become the fourth Army Commander to assume the presidency, following Emile Lahoud, Michel Suleiman, and Michel Aoun.

Jihad Azour

The second candidate for the presidency of the Lebanese Republic is Jihad Azour, who currently serves as the Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund.

Azour holds a PhD in International Finance and a postgraduate degree in International Economics and Finance, both from the Institut d’Études Politiques de Paris. 

From 2005 to 2008, Azour served as Minister of Finance under Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. During his tenure, he played a key role in coordinating economic initiatives, including the modernization of Lebanon's tax and customs systems.

In the private sector, Azour held several roles, working at McKinsey and Booz & Company. Before joining the IMF in March 2017, he was a managing partner at Inventis Partners, a consulting and investment firm.

He also contributed to the preparation of the Paris 1 and 2 conferences for Lebanon.

In June 2023, Azour temporarily stepped down from his duties at the International Monetary Fund after being nominated as a presidential candidate in Lebanon, "to avoid any perception of a conflict of interest," according to a statement from the IMF.

Elias al-Baysari

The third prominent candidate for the Lebanese presidency is Elias al-Baysari, who has served as the acting Director General of General Security since March 3, 2023.

Al-Baysari holds a PhD in Law from the Lebanese University and began his career in 1990, working in the Intelligence Directorate at the Lebanese Army General Headquarters.

He advanced through the ranks, starting as a lieutenant in the army, eventually becoming the head of the office of former Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and Minister of Interior, Elias Murr.

In 2005, he survived an assassination attempt alongside Elias Murr. In 2011, he transitioned to General Security, initially serving as head of the Administrative Affairs Office, then as head of the Director General’s Office. He was later appointed acting Director General of General Security following the retirement of Major General Abbas Ibrahim.

Presidential election process 

• The ballot box is held by the attending representatives, who have the right to vote for any Lebanese citizen, regardless of sect, even if they are not an official candidate.
• After voting, the vote-counting process begins in public.
• To win in the first round, a candidate must secure a two-thirds majority of Parliament members, meaning 86 votes.
• If no candidate achieves this, successive rounds will be held until one candidate wins an absolute majority, which is 65 votes.

Article 49 

• The president's term is six years.
• The president is elected by secret ballot and by a two-thirds majority of the Chamber of Deputies.
• A quorum of 86 deputies is required to hold the electoral session.
• The Speaker of Parliament opens the session and initiates the voting process.

Article 50 

• Upon assuming office, the President of the Republic shall take an oath of fidelity
  before the Parliament, to the Nation and the constitution, in the following terms:

"I swear by Almighty God to observe the Constitution and the laws of the Lebanese Nation
and to maintain the independence of Lebanon and its territorial integrity." 

Brief of the president's constitutional powers 

The President of the Republic of Lebanon has powers relating to both the legislative and executive branches, which are guaranteed by the Taif Agreement of 1989, which amended some of them. These powers include: 

Article 53

• The president presides over the Council of Ministers without voting.
• The president designates the Prime Minister in consultation with the Speaker, based on binding parliamentary consultations.
• The president alone issues the decree appointing the Prime Minister.
• The president, in agreement with the Prime Minister, issues decrees appointing the Cabinet and accepting resignations or dismissals of Ministers.
• The president alone issues decrees accepting the resignation of the Cabinet or considering it resigned.
• The president forwards bills from the Council of Ministers to the Chamber of Deputies.
• The president accredits and accepts ambassadors' credentials.
• The president presides over official functions and grants decorations by decree.
• The president grants particular pardons by decree; general amnesty requires a law.
• The president may address messages to the Chamber of Deputies when necessary.
• The [resident may introduce urgent matters to the Council of Ministers.
• The president, with the prime minister’s agreement, may call for an extraordinary Council of Ministers session.

Article 54

• The president's decisions must be countersigned by the prime minister and relevant ministers, except for the decree designating a new prime minister and the decree accepting or considering the Cabinet's resignation.
• Decrees issuing laws must be countersigned by the Prime Minister. 

Article 55

• The president may ask the Council of Ministers to dissolve the Chamber of Deputies before its mandate ends, as per Articles 65 and 77 of the Constitution.
• If the Council agrees, the president issues a decree dissolving the Chamber.
• Electoral bodies will meet as per Article 25, and the new Chamber must convene within 15 days of election results.
• The Bureau of the Chamber continues to function until a new Chamber is elected.
• If elections are not held within the specified timeframe, the dissolution decree is void, and the Chamber continues its duties as per the constitution.

Article 59

According to Article 59, the president of the Republic may adjourn the Chamber for a period not exceeding one month. However, he may not do so twice during the same session.