Lebanon has been without a president since October 2022, as rival parties have been unable to agree on a candidate in the past 11 parliamentary sessions. Today, a 12th vote will take place in the Lebanese Parliament, this time promising to be more interesting than the previous ones.
The two main contenders, both Maronite Christians as required by the constitution, are Suleiman Frangieh (pictured on the left), who enjoys the public support of the Shiite Amal and Hezbollah, and Jihad Azour (on the right), backed by the parties opposing the terrorist group.
Azour is expected to receive more votes than Frangieh today, but neither is likely to secure the two-thirds majority (86 votes) required to be elected. However, if another runoff vote is held between the two, a simple majority of 65 votes will be sufficient for the first time, and the year-long saga of choosing a president could finally come to an end.
