Lebanon's lawmakers 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 faces the tasks of overseeing a ceasefire in south Lebanon and naming a prime minister able to lead reforms demanded by international creditors. He vowed that the state would have 'a monopoly' on arms after a devastating war between Israel and Hezbollah. Aoun's appointment is the first time Lebanon has had a president in two years.