Lebanese lawmakers have elected army chief Joseph Aoun as president after a two-year vacancy, a step towards lifting the country out of a financial crisis, AFP reports.
Aoun, who turns 61 on January 3, arrived at parliament to take the oath of office to general applause wearing a dark suit and bright blue tie instead of his usual military uniform.
"Today a new stage in Lebanon's history begins," he told the House.
Supporters erupted in celebrations in his home village of Aishia in southern Lebanon, where residents had gathered since morning outside the church, which was decorated with Lebanese flags and his portrait.
"The president is Joseph Aoun," parliament speaker Nabih Berri announced after 99 of 128 lawmakers backed his candidacy.
Aoun faces the daunting tasks of overseeing a ceasefire along the border with Israel and naming a prime minister to lead the reforms demanded by international lenders to rescue the country from the worst economic crisis in its history.
Aoun is the fifth Lebanese army commander to become president, and the fourth in a row.
Under Lebanon's multi-confessional power-sharing system, the president must be a Maronite Christian, as must the military chiefs. | BGNES
