Lebanon's Aoun Leaves Presidential Palace amid Mounting Economic Crisis

President Michel Aoun left Lebanon's presidential palace on Sunday a day before his mandate expires without a designated successor.

Lebanese lawmakers tried but failed four times in a month to agree on electing a successor after Aoun's six-year term ends on Monday.

The 89-year-old Christian president left the country amid a financial meltdown following the deadly Beirut port blast.

Aoun took over the presidency in 2016, endorsed by both Hezbollah and rival Maronite Christian politician Samir Geagea in a deal that brought then-leading Sunni politician Saad Al Hariri back as prime minister.

During his six-year term, he witnessed Lebanon’s army fight off Islamist militants on the Syrian border in 2017 with Hezbollah’s help, a new electoral law passed in 2018 and top energy companies begin exploratory drilling in offshore blocks in 2020.

In his interview with Reuters, Aoun credited Hezbollah for its “useful” role in acting as a “deterrent” against any Israeli attacks during the maritime border talks.

He pointed out that his departure was not the end of his political career.