Lebanon’s parliament has failed to elect a president for the fourth and final time. It means Michel Aoun’s term ended on October 31 with a presidential vacuum.
A two-thirds majority vote would be needed to choose a successor, and a unanimous vote to install them.
The way Lebanon’s government is structured; a Maronite Christian occupies the position of president. Meanwhile, A Sunni Muslim acts as Prime Minister and a Shia Muslim as the Speaker of the Parliament.
The current government already operates in a limited capacity, having resigned after the May 15 parliamentary elections.
President Michel Aoun left Lebanon’s presidential palace Sunday, marking the end of his six-year term.
“I leave a country that is robbed,” Aoun said, adding that all Lebanese were hurt by losing their life savings in local banks. He added that some politicians prevented the investigation into the port blast.
Aoun, who blamed his political rivals and others for the crisis except for members of his political party, later left the palace and headed to his residence in Beirut’s northern suburb of Rabieh.
Aoun’s biggest achievement came last week. He signed a U.S.-mediated maritime border agreement with Israel that Beirut hopes will lead to gas exploration in the Mediterranean.
