Lebanon: Parliament Fails for 6th Time to Elect a President

The first parliament session to elect a successor for President Michel Aoun (AFP)
The first parliament session to elect a successor for President Michel Aoun (AFP)
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Lebanon: Parliament Fails for 6th Time to Elect a President

The first parliament session to elect a successor for President Michel Aoun (AFP)
The first parliament session to elect a successor for President Michel Aoun (AFP)

The Lebanese Parliament failed for the sixth time on Thursday to elect a successor to former president Michel Aoun, whose term expired on October 31.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri chaired Thursday’s parliament meeting. Five legislators out of 128-member parliament did not attend.

Legislators cast their paper ballots into a wooden box in Parliament’s assembly hall.

Forty three cast votes for lawmaker Michel Mouawad, forty six cast blank votes, seven cast votes for Issam Khalifeh and nine cast votes for “a new Lebanon”.

The remaining votes were split between Ziad Baroud, Suleiman Franjieh, Michel Daher and two other canceled votes.

Lawmakers of the March 8 alliance including the Free Patriotic Movement left the Parliament breaking the session’s required quorum. Berri announced a new session next Thursday.

In each of the six sessions convened to elect a head of state, the March 8 alliance bloc has walked out before lawmakers could hold a second round of voting which would have reduced the number of ballots needed for victory from 86 to 65.

Lawmakers and the speaker quarreled about the quorum needed to elect a president.

At the beginning of the session, Kataeb party leader Sami Gemayel asked Berri about the constitutional basis he relies on to specify the “required” quorum for a session to convene.

Gemayel said that article 49 of Lebanon’s constitution has “no mention of a quorum” as a predicament to elect a new president for the country.

“Out of our parliamentary responsibility, we hope that a clear explanation and discussion of the constitution is made in parliament, because we will not witness the election of a president in the future if things continue this way,” said Gemayel.

Berri, on his part, defended his judgment saying that the parliamentary sessions should always convene with a two-third majority.

Controversy over the required quorum to elect a president surfaced during the fifth parliament meeting when opposition lawmakers requested a majority vote, 65 votes, for the election of a president. But Berri insisted that a two-third quorum is necessary.



Sudan's Foreign Ministry Condemns Nairobi Meetings as Army Vows Retaliation

Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Army General Yasir Al-Atta (Sudan News Agency)
Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Army General Yasir Al-Atta (Sudan News Agency)
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Sudan's Foreign Ministry Condemns Nairobi Meetings as Army Vows Retaliation

Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Army General Yasir Al-Atta (Sudan News Agency)
Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Army General Yasir Al-Atta (Sudan News Agency)

The Sudanese Foreign Ministry has downplayed meetings held in Nairobi, Kenya, to sign a political charter that would pave the way for the establishment of a government in areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan.

This proposed government would act as a parallel authority to the military-backed administration based in Port Sudan, the country’s temporary capital.

The Foreign Ministry dismissed the initiative as a “propaganda stunt” and warned of potential measures to restore order.

The Sudanese army also vowed to confront supporters of the new government and to purge the country of RSF forces.

Speaking at a rally in the northern city of Al-Dabba, Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Army, General Yasir Al-Atta, stated that the military is preparing to “cleanse” the country of RSF forces and retake all areas under their control.

His remarks marked the first direct military response to the Nairobi meetings, which are backed by the RSF and seek to establish a so-called “Government of Peace and Unity.”

This coalition consists of political and civil groups, armed movements, and RSF representatives, positioning itself as an alternative to the military-led government in Port Sudan.

In a strongly worded statement, Al-Atta vowed to fight those attempting to establish the parallel government. “To those who claim to be forming a parallel government, we will fight you in every inch of Sudanese territory. We will show you that the Sudanese nation has lions with sharp claws and fangs,” he said.

The Sudanese Foreign Ministry dismissed the Nairobi meetings as a “mere propaganda event” with no real impact. It also hinted at possible actions to restore order.

In a statement issued late Tuesday, the ministry expressed regret over Kenya’s decision to host the signing of what it called a political agreement between the “terrorist RSF militia” and its allies. It accused Kenya of violating international law, United Nations principles, and the founding charter of the African Union.

Originally scheduled for Tuesday, the signing of the political charter was postponed to Friday following the participation of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, led by Abdelaziz Adam Al-Hilu. Additional military and civilian factions are expected to join the initiative to establish a government in RSF-controlled areas, running parallel to the administration led by Army Chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan in Port Sudan.

The Foreign Ministry warned that the stated goal of the agreement—to form a government on Sudanese territory—amounts to an attempt to divide the country, undermine its sovereignty, and interfere in its internal affairs. It also accused Kenya of “harboring RSF leaders and allowing them to engage in public political and propaganda activities,” arguing that this effectively encourages continued crimes against civilians, including massacres and genocide.

Furthermore, the ministry accused the Kenyan government of violating principles of good neighborliness and contradicting previous commitments made at the highest levels not to allow hostile activities against Sudan from its territory.

The ministry asserted that the Nairobi meetings would have no real impact, emphasizing the Sudanese army’s determination to reclaim all land from what it described as the “terrorist militia and its foreign mercenaries.”

It also called on the international community to condemn Kenya’s actions, warning that Sudan would take the necessary steps to correct the situation.

Kenya Faces Domestic Criticism

Kenya has also faced internal criticism for hosting an event organized by the RSF to announce a parallel government, with some accusing it of irresponsibility and “covering up” criminal activities.

Two sources involved in organizing the event told Agence France Presse that RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), who has remained largely out of sight throughout the war, has arrived in Kenya and is expected to attend the official announcement on Friday.

Kenya has historically hosted several regional peace agreements, including the Comprehensive Peace Agreement for Sudan 20 years ago, which ended a previous civil war. However, a lawyer working with the International Refugee Organization, a human rights group, stated that Kenya’s latest move “undermines” the positive image it seeks to project.