Supporters of President Michel Aoun holding up his photo during a demonstration near the presidential palace on November 3, 2019. Photo by Anwar Amro/AFP
It would be a first for Lebanon. As Michel Aoun’s term of office nears its end, the prospects of electing a new president on time seem increasingly slim. Under the Constitution, in case a presidential vacuum occurs, the prerogatives of the head of state will be granted to the council of ministers. So far, this is nothing new, particularly since the institutional vacuum has become increasingly the norm rather than an exception since the signing of the Taif agreement. Yet, the fact that Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati, who also chairs the caretaker Cabinet, has still not succeeded in forming a new one is making the situation more and more complicated.The country could indeed be heading towards a presidential and governmental vacuum. In this case, the idea that Michel Aoun could refuse to leave the Baabda Palace when his terms...
It would be a first for Lebanon. As Michel Aoun’s term of office nears its end, the prospects of electing a new president on time seem increasingly slim. Under the Constitution, in case a presidential vacuum occurs, the prerogatives of the head of state will be granted to the council of ministers. So far, this is nothing new, particularly since the institutional vacuum has become increasingly the norm rather than an exception since the signing of the Taif agreement. Yet, the fact that Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati, who also chairs the caretaker Cabinet, has still not succeeded in forming a new one is making the situation more and more complicated.The country could indeed be heading towards a presidential and governmental vacuum. In this case, the idea that Michel Aoun could refuse to leave the Baabda Palace when his terms...