When the Israel invaded the Lebanon in 1982, all the sectarian fissures of a country plagued by civil war were exposed.

Today, despite the long-standing feuds, there are many inside the country who are desperate to maintain a spirit of national solidarity in the face of Israeli strikes along the southern border, desiring the forging of a new political order above all sects now that Hezbollah is also weakened.

None of this will be easy, as the Politico. The challenge of rebuilding a country devastated by economic disaster – with 85% of people living below the poverty line – is enormous. It is a given that Lebanon is facing its worst humanitarian crisis in 40 years, with more and more people fleeing their homes as the Israeli armed forces clash with Shiite Hezbollah fighters and bombard the country relentlessly.

It should be noted that the Lebanese authorities have opened more than 500 school buildings to accommodate those who have evacuated their areas, but it does not seem to be enough, given that the number of displaced people exceeds 1 million, while thousands are also those who sleep on beaches, under bridges and in alleys.

Finally time for a president

The population of Lebanon, according to the United Nations average estimate for 2024, is 5,806,000 inhabitants, of which 61.1% are Muslim (of different denominations) and 33.7% are Christian (also of many different denominations) . Sunni Muslims make up 27% of the population followed by Shias who make up 24%. Alawites make up 3% of the country’s population.

In a country deeply divided between its various communities, Hezbollah’s decision to open a front with Israel in support of the Palestinian group Hamas has reignited the division.

Therefore, Israel’s attack against Hezbollah in Lebanon has prompted the country’s politicians to intensify their efforts to fill the position of the president, which has remained vacant for two years, and to overcome the paralysis of the state.

Lebanon has not had a president or government with full powers since October 2022 due to internal strife and power struggles, in which Hezbollah plays a major role.

Lebanon’s last president, Michel Aoun, was a former army commander and a political ally of Hezbollah.

A senior Western diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity said that Western and Arab states are pressuring Lebanese politicians to elect a president, adding that it is also in Hezbollah’s interest to resolve the issue so that the state can take on a greater “burden” in through the current crisis with Israel.

Hard negotiations between Christians and Muslims

As Hezbollah struggles to recover from the death of Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike, the issue of the president came back into the spotlight this week when Shiite parliament speaker Nabih Berri, an ally of the Shiite movement, hinted at flexibility on the issue. and telling the Lebanese prime minister, Najib Mikati, that he supports the election of a president who is not a “challenge” to anyone.

Along with its allies, the Shiite movement insisted on taking over the presidency, to which a Maronite Christian, his Christian ally Suleiman Franjie, is elected.

A Hezbollah official told Reuters the movement has tasked Berry with negotiating the president’s issue on its behalf.

The president is elected by the parliament. However, no coalition currently has enough seats to force its choice, meaning there needs to be an agreement between rival blocs to elect a candidate.

After the meeting he had yesterday Wednesday with Berry and Druze leader Walid Jublat, Mikati – a Sunni – read a joint statement between them which called for the consensual election of “a president who will reassure everyone and remove any concerns”.

The announcement did not mention any name of presidential candidate.

The Christian Lebanese Forces party, a staunch opponent of Hezbollah, called on Monday for him to be elected president, saying it was the only way for “the state to shoulder its responsibilities alone,” an indirect indictment of Hezbollah’s vast arsenal.