Lebanese Parliament Fails to Elect President

Policy Brief Program

January 2023

​

Eleventh Presidential Vote Fails:

• On January 19, the Lebanese Parliament failed to elect a new president for the eleventh time, prolonging a political gridlock in place since October 31, 2022.
• 110 out of 128 lawmakers attended the vote.
  • MP Michel Moawad received the most votes (34), garnering support from the Lebanese Forces bloc. However, this fell short of the two-thirds majority required to win office. 
  • 37 blank votes were cast.
• Other votes included 14 for New Lebanon, 15 deemed invalid, and several valid votes for other candidates.
• After the failed vote, two lawmakers from the Forces of Change bloc staged a sit-in at the Parliament, demanding that Speaker Nabih Berri hold an open-ended session to elect a president. 
  • Berri rejected the proposal because it would render the Parliament an electoral college that could no longer legislate.
  • However, this contradicts the Lebanese constitution, which states that in the case of a presidential vacancy, the Parliament must become an electoral college convening without “delay or debate” to elect a new leader. 

Consequences of Political Gridlock:

• Lebanon’s political issues have exacerbated the ongoing economic crisis.
  • Shortly after the vote, the Lebanese lira hit a new low of 50,000 to the US dollar, down from 1,500 in 2019.
• The caretaker government has stalled progress on several economic reform bills aimed at combatting corruption and unlocking $3 billion in conditional financial assistance from the World Bank. 

Background:

• The current political crisis began when former President Michel Aoun’s term expired on October 30, 2022. 
  • Prime Minister Najib Mikati failed to form a new government before the end of Aoun’s tenure, creating a dual-executive power vacuum. 
• This failed vote comes as Lebanon faces mounting pressure from international organizations to resolve their financial issues and corruption. 
  • On January 20, Lebanon, along with several other countries, lost voting rights at the UN General Assembly for failing to meet the minimum contribution to the organization’s operating budget. 
  • A judicial delegation from France, Germany, and Luxembourg traveled to Lebanon in mid-January to investigate the central bank and Governor Riad Salameh, who is accused of laundering money from Lebanon to several European countries.