“Every leader whose legitimacy stemmed from their history, present, and contribution to the movement over four decades became a target for exclusion because they did not fit the specifications of the inheritance project intended for the ‘new movement’, Abi Ramia said.
Abi Ramia reflected on his loyalty to former President, Michel Aoun, throughout his tenure in political office, including the presidency. However, the leadership’s failure to respond to “our aspirations for managing the movement and the country, and our right to participate in crafting party decisions in a real, not just superficial way, has led me to conclude my journey as a witness to the dissolution of an institution I helped found and develop,” Abi Ramia concluded his statement.
Of note, on August 2, the Free Patriotic Movement expelled MP Alain Aoun. The nephew of former President Michel Aoun, Alain Aoun, was Bassil’s rival in the elections for the party’s presidency in 2014.
Last April, Bassil ousted Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab from the FPM after two years of conflict over the presidency. In addition to Bou Saab, many cadres have left the party without being dismissed or set aside.
