Lebanese leader Walid Joumblatt in Ain al-Tineh, Oct. 15, 2023. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L'Orient-Le Jour)
The parliamentary bloc of the Democratic Gathering, led by the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP), announced in a statement that it will support the candidacy of Army Commander-in-Chief Joseph Aoun for the Lebanese presidency during the parliamentary session on Jan. 9. The announcement was made in a statement relayed by local media.
This decision was made following a meeting of the bloc, attended by former PSP leader Walid Joumblatt alongside his son, as well as MPs Marwan Hamadeh, Akram Chehayeb, Wael Abou Faour, Hady Abou al-Hosn, Faysal Sayegh, Raji al-Saad and Bilal Abdallah. The bloc also discussed the general situation in Lebanon and regional developments.
The presidential position has been vacant since the end of Michel Aoun's term on Oct. 31, 2022, due to political disagreements. In previous parliamentary sessions convened to elect a president over the past two years, the Joumblatt bloc had supported Zghorta MP Michel Moawad, followed by former Minister Jihad Azour, currently a senior official at the International Monetary Fund, after the convergence of positions between the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), the Aounist party led by Gebran Bassil, and the opposition.
