BEIRUT, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's army chief Joseph Aoun was elected president in the second round of the presidential vote held on Thursday, local media reported.
Aoun obtained 99 votes in the second round of the electoral session, which was attended by 128 members of parliament, Lebanese TV channel Al Jadeed reported. His victory marks the end of more than two years of presidential vacancy in Lebanon.
In the second round, Shibli Mallat, a prominent legal figure in Lebanon, got two votes. Of the rest, nine lawmakers cast blank ballots and 13 voted for "sovereignty and the constitution," whereas five invalid ballots were cast, Al Jadeed reported.
Aoun failed to win a two-thirds majority, or 86 votes, in the first round of the session held earlier in the day, compelling the parliament to adjourn for two hours before proceeding to a second round, where a simple majority of 65 votes was sufficient for victory.
Following the election, Aoun entered the parliament building in downtown Beirut to swear his oath before lawmakers and deliver an inaugural speech.
According to the official National News Agency, Aoun acknowledged "the need for change in Lebanon's political system," and underscored "the importance of legal and judicial reform."
"Interference in the judiciary is forbidden, and there will be no immunity for criminals or corrupt individuals. There is no place for mafias, drug trafficking, or money laundering in Lebanon," he said.
Political division in Lebanon resulted in a vacant presidential position following the end of former President Michel Aoun's term on Oct. 31, 2022. The parliament had failed to elect a president for the country in 12 electoral sessions. A caretaker government has been running the country during the presidential vacuum.
Joseph Aoun, 60, who is not related to Michel Aoun, is widely considered the preferred candidate of the United States and Saudi Arabia, whose support will be crucial for Lebanon's reconstruction following a 14-month conflict between Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, according to analysts. ■
