Amal

Government Formation: Amal and Hezbollah Boycott Non-Binding Consultations

Designated Prime Minister Nawaf Salam arrived at the Parliament this morning at 10 AM. However, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who was scheduled to meet with him, boycotted the non-binding consultations. Meanwhile, the Shiite duo Amal and Hezbollah had been considering boycotting the parliamentary consultations since Tuesday evening, a decision ...

Amal and Hezbollah Will Boycott Parliamentary Consultations

The Amal and Hezbollah blocs declared its decision to abstain from participating in the non-binding parliamentary consultations scheduled by Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam on Wednesday to form his government. During an interview with the local channel LBCI on Wednesday, MP Qassem Hachem, affiliated with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, ...

The Shiite Duo Concedes to Regional Shifts by Electing Joseph Aoun

“I did not come to engage in politics, but to build a state that can only be founded on justice and equality for all its components.” This statement, delivered by General Joseph Aoun, Lebanon's first president after its centenary, during his first official meeting with a congratulatory delegation, succinctly summarizes his vision and ...

Army Commander Gen. Joseph Aoun is the 14th President of Lebanon

Army Commander Gen. Joseph Aoun was elected on Thursday as the 14th president of Lebanon in a second round of the voting, ending more than two years of vacuum in the top post. Aoun obtained 99 votes of the 128-member unicameral parliament, against 9 blank votes, two votes for Chibli Mallat and 18 invalid ballots. The second round of the voting ...

Who is Lebanon's Long-Awaited 14th President Joseph Aoun?

When considering the implementation of a ceasefire—fragile at best—a devastating war between Hezbollah and Israel, the second-largest non-nuclear explosion in history, an unprecedented economic collapse, an unparalleled political paralysis, an attack by ISIS on Lebanese soil, all compounded by Lebanon's deeply rooted sectarian tensions, one ...

Army Commander Fails First Round of Presidential Vote

Army Commander Gen. Joseph Aoun failed to get elected as Lebanon’s new president in the first round of parliament voting on Thursday. Aoun received 71 votes, short of the 86 ballots that he needs to be elected in the first round. The ballots included 37 blank votes, two for Chebli Mallat and 18 invalid votes. The blank and invalid votes have ...

The Twelve Labors of… Parliament

Since the end of former President Michel Aoun's term in October 2022, Lebanon has been facing a period of presidential vacancy, accompanied by overlapping economic and security crises, the most recent being the war between Hezbollah and Israel. From political divisions to diplomatic visits, the Lebanese political scene has become mired in ...

Frangieh, Baroud and Frem Withdraw From Presidential Race, Support Gen. Joseph Aoun

Head of Marada Party Sleiman Frangieh, MP Neemat Frem and former Minister Ziyad Baroud have each announced on Wednesday that they are withdrawing their candidacy for Thursday's presidential election, in favor of Army Commander General Joseph Aoun. Frangieh, whose candidature for president was supported by the Shiite duo – Amal and ...

January 9 Session at Risk as Election Delay Looms

The key issue Walid Joumblatt brought back from Paris, coupled with the information shared with Nabih Berri about Joseph Aoun’s rising presidential prospects – stemming from his leadership of a key institution and his role in ensuring stability – has revitalized the stagnant presidential process. This development has prompted candidates to ...

Hezbollah Faces a Shrinking Support Base

At a time when all norms in Lebanon and its surrounding regions have been overturned, with one downfall following another — from Hamas in Gaza to Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Assad regime in Syria — huge changes continue to unfold, provoking reactions from the entire “Axis of resistance.” This axis has collapsed, dragging along those who ...

“Lebanon in the 'Day After': The Last Chance?” A New Policy Brief by GGCO and CIH

As part of the Partnership between the Good Governance and Citizenship Observatory (GGCO) at The American University of Beirut (AUB) and the Civic Influence Hub (CIH), the two organizations have published a Policy Brief titled " Lebanon in the 'Day After': The Last Chance?" In a press release published on Thursday, GGCO and CIH explain that the ...

The Quest to Turn Hezbollah into a Political Group

After Nazism devastated Germany and Europe, leaving a trail of death across the Mediterranean basin and beyond, the war ended on May 8, 1945, with Nazi Germany’s surrender, followed by Japan’s capitulation on September 2, 1945. In the aftermath of the Allied victory, there was never any consideration of integrating the Axis powers – Nazi ...