Lebanon is facing enormous challenges as President Michel Aoun enters his second year in office
It took a while for the Lebanese public to get used to General Michel Aoun as president. It became all the harder with the unwritten custom of - and legal provisions related to - avoiding criticism, as much as possible, of the presidency being the "symbol of the nation's unity” and the guardian of Lebanon's constitution and independence.
The reason being, prior to his appointment, Aoun was known to be a controversial, hot-blooded politician. Additionally, the political settlement that saw Aoun turn into the "father of everyone" was not accepted across the political spectrum partly due to Aoun's alliance with Hezbollah. Also the parliament, which elected Aoun, is considered by many Lebanese to be unconstitutional since it has twice extended its mandate despite popular discontent.
Aoun's alliances
Despite heading the largest Christian-majority parliamentary bloc, (the Change and Reform bloc with 20 seats), and being endorsed by two chief components – Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s Future Movement and Samir Geagea's Lebanese Forces - of the "March 14 forces", a political alliance that grew as a result of the assassination of former PM Rafiq Hariri in 2005, Aoun remains in the eyes of his opponents the symbol of Iranian control over Lebanon because of his alliance with Hezbollah.