Cards Stack In Favor Of Lebanese Army Chief On Eve Of Presidential Vote

 Cards Stack In Favor Of Lebanese Army Chief On Eve Of Presidential Vote

Hezbollah’s Christian ally has withdrawn his candidacy and endorsed the US-backed LAF chief one day ahead of a long-anticipated election

Suleiman Frangieh, the leader of the Marada Movement and close ally of Hezbollah, withdrew his candidacy from the Lebanese presidential race on 8 January and endorsed the US-backed commander of the Lebanese army, Joseph Aoun.

The withdrawal comes one day ahead of a long-anticipated parliament session called to put an end to a more than two-year presidential vacuum and political deadlock.

“Now that the conditions for electing a president of the republic are available tomorrow, and in light of the way things have turned out, I announce the withdrawal of my candidacy, which was never an obstacle to the election process,” Frangieh said on Wednesday evening via X.

“While I thank everyone who voted for me, I – in line with what I had previously announced – support General Joseph Aoun, who has the qualifications to preserve the position of the first presidency. I wish the parliament success in the election process, and for the nation to pass this stage with unity, awareness, and responsibility,” he added.

The Lebanese presidency has been vacant since the end of Michel Aoun’s term in October 2022. Lebanese political forces have since reached a stalemate due to a lack of consensus over a choice and several failed attempts to elect a president in the parliament.

The two main candidates are the US-backed commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), Joseph Aoun (no relation to the former president), and Jihad Azour, a former International Monetary Fund (IMF) official and former finance minister whose name was put forward during efforts to elect a president in 2023.

Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader Gebran Bassil, whose party opposes Aoun, has pushed for Azour, while reportedly also expressing inclination toward the candidacy of former government minister and civil society activist Ziad Baroud.

The LAF commander, a close friend of the US Embassy, has been a big name in the stalled presidential race for over two years despite opposition from some political forces. He has enjoyed support from the US and Saudi Arabia, and is Washington’s preferred choice.

In October, Al-Akhbar newspaper reported that the US has hopes of using Aoun’s presidency to counter Hezbollah inside Lebanon.

🔗SOURCE ➡️ The Cradle

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