A portrait of President Joseph Aoun displayed above the Damascus road on the day of his election, Jan. 9, 2025, near Baabda. (Credit: Philippe Hage-Boutros/L'Orient-Le Jour)
On Jan. 9, while smiles and applause punctuated much of President Joseph Aoun's inauguration speech in the MPs faces in Parliament, the day’s defeated wore somber expressions. The scene was strikingly similar after Nawaf Salam’s appointment as Prime Minister."We hoped to find the hand that always boasted of being extended, only to see it was cut off. They have the right to try their luck, and it is ours to demand a government that respects the national pact," said Mohammad Raad, leader of Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc. Hezbollah MPs, who had favored the reappointment of caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, ultimately abstained during the binding consultations. Read more In Lebanon, the beginning of a new era? This stark contrast, while not uncommon in a country accustomed to political tensions, seemed far less pronounced on the...
On Jan. 9, while smiles and applause punctuated much of President Joseph Aoun's inauguration speech in the MPs faces in Parliament, the day’s defeated wore somber expressions. The scene was strikingly similar after Nawaf Salam’s appointment as Prime Minister."We hoped to find the hand that always boasted of being extended, only to see it was cut off. They have the right to try their luck, and it is ours to demand a government that respects the national pact," said Mohammad Raad, leader of Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc. Hezbollah MPs, who had favored the reappointment of caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, ultimately abstained during the binding consultations. Read more In Lebanon, the beginning of a new era? This stark contrast, while not uncommon in a country accustomed to political tensions, seemed far less pronounced on...
In Zahle, no voting instructions from the FPM to its supporters