BEIRUT — Lebanon’s fractured parliament overcame more than two years of gridlock Thursday to select a new president, a critical step toward bringing stability to a country attempting to recover from economic catastrophe and a devastating war.
Lawmakers elected Gen. Joseph Aoun, the commander of the Lebanese military, by an overwhelming majority in the second round of voting, with 99 votes in the 128-seat parliament, after he failed in the initial round. It was a breakthrough in the effort to form a government after more than two years of weak caretaker rule.
“Today, a new phase in Lebanon’s history begins,” Aoun said during his victory speech.
Lebanon has endured an economic collapse and a war between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah that has left large areas in ruins.
The election Thursday — which frequently descended into shouting matches — also reflected shifting power balances in the region and came at an unnerving time for Lebanon. In neighboring Syria, an untested government is attempting to chart a path forward after years of civil war.