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Hezbollah Backs Suleiman Franjieh for Lebanon’s Presidency

In this file photo taken on October 31, 2016, Lebanese MP and presidential candidate Suleiman Franjieh leaves the parliament after a session to elect a new president in Beirut. (AFP)
In this file photo taken on October 31, 2016, Lebanese MP and presidential candidate Suleiman Franjieh leaves the parliament after a session to elect a new president in Beirut. (AFP)
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Hezbollah Backs Suleiman Franjieh for Lebanon’s Presidency

In this file photo taken on October 31, 2016, Lebanese MP and presidential candidate Suleiman Franjieh leaves the parliament after a session to elect a new president in Beirut. (AFP)
In this file photo taken on October 31, 2016, Lebanese MP and presidential candidate Suleiman Franjieh leaves the parliament after a session to elect a new president in Beirut. (AFP)

The Hezbollah party will back head of the Marada Movement Suleiman Franjieh to be the Lebanon’s president, the group's leader Hassan Nasrallah said on Monday, a move that gives him important backing but does not secure his election.

Lebanon has had no head of state since former president Michel Aoun's term ended at the end of October, deepening institutional paralysis in a country where one of the world's-worst economic crises has been festering for years.

"The natural candidate we support in the presidential elections is (former) minister Suleiman Frangieh," Nasrallah said.

Franjieh, 56, is heir to an old Lebanese political dynasty and a friend of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

His grandfather, of the same name, served as president from 1970 into Lebanon's 1975-90 civil war.

Franjieh has the support of parliament Speaker Nabih Berri's Amal Movement party but still falls short of the 65 votes required for him to be elected.

A close Hezbollah ally, he appeared close to becoming president in 2016, but Hezbollah's support went to Aoun - another of its Christian allies who now have a 20-member bloc in parliament but have opposed Franjieh’s election.

Franjieh’s candidacy is also opposed by the Lebanese Forces party led by Samir Geagea.

Franjieh’s parents and sister were killed by the Lebanese Forces militia in 1978 at their home in the north of the country.

Franjieh held Geagea - an LF commander at the time - responsible for the raid. Geagea has denied taking part, saying he was wounded before reaching the house.

In 2018, Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi oversaw reconciliation between the two.

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Arab World

Lebanon Sends Message of Confidence with First Local Elections

A Lebanese man casts his ballot during the Municipal elections at a polling station in Deir El Qamar, in the Chouf District of the Mount Lebanon Governorate, southeast of Beirut, Lebanon, 04 May 2025. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH
A Lebanese man casts his ballot during the Municipal elections at a polling station in Deir El Qamar, in the Chouf District of the Mount Lebanon Governorate, southeast of Beirut, Lebanon, 04 May 2025. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH
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Lebanon Sends Message of Confidence with First Local Elections

A Lebanese man casts his ballot during the Municipal elections at a polling station in Deir El Qamar, in the Chouf District of the Mount Lebanon Governorate, southeast of Beirut, Lebanon, 04 May 2025. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH
A Lebanese man casts his ballot during the Municipal elections at a polling station in Deir El Qamar, in the Chouf District of the Mount Lebanon Governorate, southeast of Beirut, Lebanon, 04 May 2025. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH

Lebanon completed the first phase of its municipal and mayoral elections on Sunday, in a vote overseen by political and security authorities and hailed by officials as transparent.

The polls mark the country’s first electoral process under President Joseph Aoun, who sought to reassure voters that “the state is serious about safeguarding their right to express their views through the ballot box.”

Aoun described the vote’s integrity as a “message of trust to the world that Lebanon is beginning to recover, rebuild its institutions, and is now on the right track.”

Sunday’s vote covered Mount Lebanon province, the most populous region in the country.

The area includes a mix of religious and political affiliations, including Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold heavily damaged during Israel’s bombardment in the latest war on Lebanon.

Aoun made a field visit on Sunday to oversee Lebanon’s first municipal and mayoral elections since 2016, following years of delays caused by the country’s prolonged political and economic crises.

The president began his tour at the Ministry of Interior, where he met with Interior Minister Ahmed Al-Hajjar and Justice Minister Adel Nassar. The discussions focused on measures in place to safeguard the electoral process from any security or legal disruptions.

Both ministers assured the president of their full preparedness to address any challenges that may arise during the first phase of the vote, held in Mount Lebanon province.

Speaking to staff in the central operations room, Aoun called for “active and serious efforts” to ensure a smooth electoral process and to reassure citizens that the state is committed to protecting their right to vote freely.

He also urged voters to participate in large numbers and resist pressures based on sectarian, political or financial influences. “Do not let sectarian, partisan, or monetary factors sway your choice,” Aoun said.

Local elections were held across the districts of Jbeil, Keserwan, Metn, Aley, Baabda, and Chouf - areas where family and clan loyalties often outweigh political or sectarian affiliations in Lebanon’s complex electoral landscape.

As of late afternoon, with three hours remaining before polls closed, the Interior Ministry reported varying voter turnout rates across Mount Lebanon province.

Keserwan led with more than 53% turnout, followed by Jbeil nearing 50%. Aley registered 36.66%, Chouf 38%, Baabda 33.11%, and Northern Metn around 33%.