Michel Aoun, President of Lebanon today vacated the presidential palace, leaving a void at the top of a failing state

Michel Aoun, President of Lebanon today vacated the presidential palace, leaving a void at the top of a failing state. The 89-year-old Christian leader had presided over Lebanon during its financial meltdown and the Beirut port blast.
The parliament has been unable to agree on a successor in the role, while the state is being currently governed by a caretaker cabinet, as the premier-designate has been trying for six months to form a government.
The Baabda Palace was surrounded by supporters to bid farewell to Aoun, who wore the orange associated with his Free Patriotic Movement party.
Aoun had secured presidency in 2016, endorsed by Hezbollah and rival Maronite Christian politician Samir Geagea. This deal had brought then-leading Sunni politician Saad al-Hariri back as prime minister.
In his final week in the palace, Aoun signed onto a US-mediated deal delineating Lebanon’s southern maritime border with Israel.