The Lebanese parliament failed once again on Wednesday to elect a president for the Republic, marking the twelfth attempt without success. Neither Suleiman Franjieh, the head of the "Mard Coalition," nor former Minister Jihad Azour secured enough votes to win during a heated parliamentary session. The vote tally was as follows: Jihad Azour 59, Suleiman Franjieh 51, Ziad Baroud 7, New Lebanon 8, Joseph Aoun 1, invalid 1, and blank votes.
This voting deadlock is expected to exacerbate sectarian tensions in Lebanon, which is grappling with one of the world's worst economic crises and an unprecedented political paralysis due to the absence of a state president, a fully empowered cabinet, and a divided parliament. The session ended after members of Hezbollah and its ally, the Amal Movement, withdrew following the first round, disrupting the quorum necessary for the second round.
### Statements from Lawmakers
After the session was adjourned, Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab announced that he would meet with the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, MP Gebran Bassil, stating that "all options are the right of the MPs." For his part, the Secretary of the Democratic Gathering bloc, MP Hadi Abou Hassan, confirmed that "all members of the bloc stand unified and voted together for candidate Jihad Azour based on the principles outlined in their statement." He added that there was no distribution of votes as some tried to suggest, urging those misleading public opinion to stop their ambiguous and suspicious roles that create unnecessary problems.
MP George Adwan stated that "no one can impose their will on the free elected MPs," considering that "today is a victory for democracy and for the opposition, which has demonstrated its closeness to achieving 65 votes; our electoral and democratic battle continues."
MP Michel Moawad pointed out that "the team trying to impose its candidate received 51 votes, indicating a clear majority rejecting this imposition, and I believe we have won." He added, "Our headline is to confront the team that wants to impose its candidate on us, and we expect the parliament to elect a president as soon as possible."
MP Tony Frangieh commented on the session results via Twitter, stating: "All contradictions intersected. See what it has produced! There is no alternative to openness and unity against hatred, exclusion, and division. This was confirmed by today's result, which is a victory for this approach. Let us set aside our intersections and build on what unites us."
MP Sami Gemayel praised "everyone who adhered to voting despite the pressures and threats faced by a group of lawmakers." Meanwhile, member of the "Loyalty to the Resistance" Bloc, Hussein Haj Hassan, emphasized the need for "dialogue, meeting, and understanding," asserting openness to all political blocs for a genuine national dialogue. Additionally, Chairman of the Lebanese Forces Party, Samir Geagea, remarked on his Twitter account after the session, stating that "what transpired in the parliament is a true and actual obstruction not only for today’s session but for the presidential elections as a whole."
