After 30 months of presidential vacuum, 81-year-old Aoun set to return to Baabda 26 years on from controversial wartime premiership.
Lebanese lawmakers have begun arriving at the parliament building in downtown Beirut to partake in a presidential election session widely expected to return Free Patriotic Movement founder MP Michel Aoun to Baabda 26 years on from his controversial wartime term as temporary prime minister.
With the full support of the parliamentary blocs of Hezbollah and the Lebanese Forces, as well as the majority of Future Movement and Democratic Gathering MPs - not to mention Aoun's own sizeable bloc - 'The General,' as he is known, is thought to have just enough votes to win the first round of voting, set to commence at noon, which necessitates the support of two thirds of MPs (86). Failing that, a second round of voting would immediately follow, requiring just half-plus-one of parliament (65 MPs), which Aoun would assuredly win.