Lebanese Parliament Speaker confirms presidential election session for January 9

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri announced Tuesday that a parliamentary session will be held on Jan. 9 to elect a new president, according to the state-run National News Agency (NNA). The session is scheduled for 11 a.m. local time (0900 GMT).

Lebanon has been without a president since Michel Aoun’s departure from office in October 2022. Since then, 13 parliamentary sessions have failed to elect a successor, prolonging the country’s political impasse.

This marks the sixth presidential vacancy in Lebanon’s modern history.

In recent days, diplomatic efforts and internal political consultations have intensified in an attempt to build consensus around a presidential candidate.

Among the leading contenders are Army Commander Gen. Joseph Aoun, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, and Marada Movement leader Suleiman Frangieh, a Hezbollah ally.

Other potential candidates include interim General Security chief Elias Al-Baysari, lawmakers Neemat Frem and Ibrahim Kanaan, and former ministers Jihad Azour, Ziad Baroud, and Jean-Louis Cardahi.

A candidate needs two-thirds of the vote, or 86 lawmakers, to secure the presidency in the first round. In subsequent rounds, an absolute majority is required.