Lebanon army chief becomes president

Lebanon's lawmakers on Thursday elected army chief Joseph Aoun as president after a two-year vacancy in the position, in a step towards lifting the war-battered country out of financial crisis.

Aoun, who turns 61 on Friday, arrived inside parliament to swear his oath to general applause, wearing a dark suit and blue tie instead of his usual military uniform. "Today, a new phase in Lebanon's history begins," he told the chamber.

Aoun faces the daunting tasks of overseeing a ceasefire in south Lebanon and naming a prime minister able to lead reforms demanded by international creditors to save the country from its worst economic crisis in history. He said he would call for parliamentary consultations as soon as possible on naming a new prime minister.

He vowed that the state would have "a monopoly" on arms after a devastating war this autumn between Israel and Shiite militant group Hezbollah.

"I pledge to call for discussing a comprehensive defence strategy... on the diplomatic, economic and military levels that will enable the Lebanese state -- I repeat, the Lebanese state -- to remove the Israeli occupation and deter its aggression," he added.

Supporters erupted in celebration in Aoun's home village of Aishiyeh in south Lebanon, where residents had gathered from the morning in front of a church adorned with Lebanese flags and his portrait, an AFP reporter said.

Elderly village resident Salim Nasr said he hoped Aoun would succeed.

"We want peace and calm in the country. We hope he will be able to achieve even half of what he promised," he said. Parliament speaker Nabih Berri announced the new president after 99 lawmakers out of 128 backed his candidacy.

Aoun is Lebanon's fifth army commander to become president, and the fourth in a row.