Lebanon's parliament faces a decisive presidential vote amid regional turmoil, with Hezbollah and allies shifting their support away from divisive candidate Suleiman Frangieh to potentially less controversial figures.

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Analysis: Lebanon's politics have been transformed within a week, with Hezbollah losing control of the executive branch after 17 years of consolidating power.

Analysis: Lebanon's politics have been transformed within a week, with Hezbollah losing control of the executive branch after 17 years of consolidating power.

Lebanon’s parliament elected a new president on January 9 after a two-year political deadlock and 13 failed attempts. Joseph Aoun met the threshold for victory in the second round of voting after his rival, a Hezbollah-backed candidate called Suleiman Frangieh, withdrew from the race.

With a nearly unanimous 99 out of 128 votes, the Lebanese parliament elected the head of the army, Gen. Joseph Aoun, as Lebanon’s 14th president on Jan. 9. In a strong inaugural speech Aoun laid out an ambitious agenda premised on regaining the Lebanese state’s monopoly of the use of force,

Lebanon’s Parliament chose a U.S.-trained general as president, ending a two-year vacancy in a sign of Hezbollah’s waning influence.

Joseph Aoun’s election comes after Hezbollah had previously backed another candidate, Suleiman Frangieh ... attacks and due to the downfall of its ally Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December. In his acceptance speech, Aoun hailed the dawn of ...

The parliament elected army chief Joseph Aoun head of state, filling the vacant presidency with a general who has U.S. support and showing the weakened sway of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group after its devastating war with Israel.

Lebanon’s new President Joseph Aoun told parliament on Thursday that the country was entering a new phase, in his first speech after being elected head of the crisis-hit country.

Though Lebanon’s presidency is mostly symbolic, it has a few important powers, like approving prime ministers and cabinets. In a country still haunted by the memory of civil war, symbolism is important too: how the head of state is chosen says much about the balance of power in Lebanon’s factious politics.

Following tense scenes early in the session, the first round of Thursday's vote concluded with 71 votes for Joseph Aoun, the widely supported army commander.View on euronews