Lebanese army commander elected president weeks after a tenuous cease-fire agreement halted a 14-month conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

Joseph Aoun, head of Lebanon ’s army, on Thursday was elected as the country’s 14th president of the republic. The 60-year-old commander takes over the position that has been vacant for over two years due to political deadlock.

A devastating economic crisis, a political power vacuum, massive corruption and most recently the war between Hezbollah and Israel: For a long time, things were not looking good for Lebanon. But, after two years without a president,