In news surprising no one – especially the people of Lebanon – the Lebanese parliament has once again failed to appoint a president, preventing the country from forming a new government as it enters its fourth year of economic crisis.

This was the 12th attempt in which Lebanese politicians sought to elect a new president. Lebanon has been without a president for almost eight months, after Michel Aoun’s term ended in October.

Neither Hezbollah-supported candidate Sleiman Frangieh nor his main rival Jihad Azour garnered enough votes. Azour won 59 votes, while Frangieh won 51, both falling below the 86-vote threshold needed to win the presidency in the first round of voting under the Lebanese constitution.

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