UPDATES WITH MORE REACTIONS, CHANGES IN LEDE AND HEADLINE
By Anadolu staff
ISTANBUL (AA) - Lebanon's new President Joseph Aoun continued to receive congratulatory messages from several Arab countries and organizations on Thursday, with leaders describing his election as the main path to consolidating stability and strengthening institutions in the country.
Aoun was elected president after securing 99 votes during a second round of voting in the 128-seat parliament.
His election ended over two years of political vacuum in Lebanon since Michel Aoun left office in October 2022.
Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz sent a cable of congratulations to Aoun, offering his “best wishes for success and prosperity to the Lebanese president and the brotherly people of Lebanon,” the Saudi state news agency SPA reported.
His Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also sent a similar cable, wishing “success and advancement for the Lebanese president and the Lebanese people.”
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, for his part, congratulated Lebanon on the completion of its presidential election.
“We wish President Aoun success in his important duties,” he said on his X account, adding that this step was “on the path to consolidating stability and strengthening the state of institutions.”
Meanwhile, Jordan's King Abdullah II sent Aoun a message congratulating him on his election as president of Lebanon.
The message conveyed “heartfelt congratulations and sincere brotherly sentiments on this occasion,” according to a statement issued by the Royal Court.
Abdullah expressed his best wishes for Aoun, hoping that he would succeed in serving Lebanon, promoting its progress and development, and ensuring the prosperity of its people.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also sent a congratulatory message to Aoun, expressing Palestine's desire to strengthen “brotherly relations and cooperation” with Lebanon, its government, and its people, according to the Palestinian official news agency Wafa.
Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement congratulating the Lebanese parliament on the election of Aoun and wishing the new president success in his duties.
The statement also highlighted Qatar’s hope for further development in bilateral relations between the two nations.
Qatar expressed optimism that the resolution of Lebanon’s presidential position would contribute to the country’s security and stability, as well as help the Lebanese people achieve their goals of progress, development, and prosperity.
Aoun received a phone call from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who congratulated him on his election and affirmed his country’s support for Lebanon, according to the official Lebanese News Agency.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune also sent a congratulatory message to Aoun, praising the step Lebanon has taken "on the path to recovery, alleviating the suffering of its people, and achieving the security it deserves as well as the stability, development, and prosperity it aspires to."
Rashad Al-Alimi, chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, congratulated Aoun and wished him “success and wisdom, along with good health and happiness, and for the brotherly Lebanese people, stability, peace, and development," according to a statement from the Yemeni Foreign Ministry.
On the level of Arab organizations and movements, the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, extended "sincere congratulations to Lebanon on the election of President Aoun as the new president of the country after a long wait," in a post on X.
Similarly, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), J Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, congratulated the Lebanese people on the parliament’s election, expressing his hope that Aoun’s election “would contribute to restoring security and peace in Lebanon and achieving the aspirations of the Lebanese people for stability, prosperity, and development.”
The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas also extended congratulations to the Lebanese people on Aoun's election as president.
Hamas released a statement in which it prayed "for the new era to succeed in leading the country toward progress and prosperity, achieving the goals of the brotherly Lebanese people in fully liberating their land from the Zionist enemy, and preserving Lebanon's unity, security, and stability."
Aoun, who has led the Lebanese army since 2017, became the fifth army commander in Lebanon’s history to ascend to the presidency, the fourth in a row, and the 14th president overall.
The president’s term lasts six years, with no reelection allowed until six years after the end of his mandate.
The president plays a key role in signing laws and appointing the prime minister in consultation with parliament.
According to the Lebanese Constitution, the president must be a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a Sunni Muslim, and the parliamentary speaker a Shia Muslim.
*Writing by Mohammad Sio and Rania Abu Shamala