He is an "interior Designer & Chairman of the Environmental Rescue Party; Manager and General Director of a company named Byblos Decor for Construction" per his own words on his Twitter bio. To check up the Environmental Rescue party please go here. Interestingly, Mr. Abi Younes has a website listed on his facebook page (here) which goes by BcharaAbiYounes (here) which mind you has a different spelling of his name, but the website goes nowhere. If you follow the links above you will note that Mr. Abi Younes is not exactly active on social media as they have not been updated for an eternity.
So why am I bringing this up?
Because Mr. Abi Younes has an ad plastered on the road as to him being a presidential candidate in Lebanon (supposedly the elections will happen in September 2022) but as is chances of them happening on that date are slim to none.
Do note, I am not digressing. All this IS confusing.
Why? Because people do not elect their president in Lebanon. Members of the Parliament (elected by people) do. So basically, plastering an ad for your presidential ambitions is a little.... superfluous? Simply because it does not sway your odds one way or the other.
Funnily, long time ago a reporter was talking to Mohammad Raad (who represents the Hezbollah in the parliament) and asked him why not put two candidates on the ballot and the MPs would decide who would win, to which he answered "no, this would become an election".
Actually, here's the rub - there is a fee to get your name posted on the ballot to become an MP. But to become a president all you have to be is a Christian Maronite older than 21. That's it. No money or ballot necessary.
If the above two facts are not the epitome of surrealism I am not sure what is.
In other words, basically MPs know who - after much deliberation and compromise and concessions - the next president is and they just vote "pour la forme". I, to be honest, do not think Mr. Abi Younes is high on the list.
But then again, this is Lebanon, so stranger things have happened. And not just on Netflix.