BEIRUT (Anadolu) – Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has set June 14 for holding a session to elect a new president, a statement by Berri’s office said. The last parliamentary session to elect a president was held on January 12, but lawmakers failed to agree on a candidate amid differences between political parties. Lawmakers had held 11 sessions but failed to elect a new president to succeed Michel Aoun, who left office on Oct. 31. The announcement of the new parliamentary session comes as several political blocs have voiced support for the nomination of former Finance Minister Jihad Azour for president.
The Hezbollah movement and allied Amal movement, meanwhile, still back Suleiman Frangieh, the leader of Lebanon’s Marada Movement, for the post.
A candidate needs two-thirds of the vote, or 86 lawmakers, to make it through the first stage.