MP Alain Aoun raised concerns that the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) has evolved into a personal venture, with little space left for those not aligned with Gebran Bassil.
In an interview with Al-Jadeed on Sunday, Aoun stated, “I have weathered significant challenges over the past seven months, maintaining a deliberate media silence in the hope of fostering reconciliation. However, it has become evident that my interactions have been with individuals who have not exhibited ethical conduct, friendship, or even respectful disagreement.”
Aoun emphasized, “The level of disloyalty I have witnessed is unparalleled, with all previous statements seeming to serve as a smokescreen to mask what appears to be a calculated and unsavory internal party restructuring, timed strategically for unveiling.”
Continuing his critique, Aoun noted, “The targeted removal of key figures and founding members within the movement, especially under the auspices of President Aoun, lends an unsettling air of legitimacy to this restructuring effort. It is telling that the orchestrated campaigns of vilification often leverage the persona of the general to portray issues as shared, when in reality, the crux of the matter lies solely with Bassil.”
Furthermore, Aoun responded to Bassil’s recent claims regarding his withdrawal from the internal party leadership race, questioning the sudden emergence of polling data after almost a decade. He further challenged Bassil’s narrative, accusing him of inheriting a legacy of discord and posing the poignant query, “How do we rid his heart of its darkness?”
Addressing allegations of personal affronts in communication with President Aoun, Alain Aoun took to social media to publicly share the entire correspondence to dispel any insinuations of impropriety.
As a reminder, the FPM expelled MP Alain Aoun on August 2. The Central Committee for Media and Communication, the Council chaired by former President Michel Aoun, had issued two recommendations for the dismissal. The first recommendation stated that “Aoun failed to appear before the council several times and insisted on his position, refusing to discuss the violations he committed against the party.” The second recommendation accused Aoun of “violating internal regulations of the FPM, as well as directives at political, organizational and media levels.” The decision was signed by the leader of the party, Gebran Bassil. Alain Aoun, the nephew of former President Michel Aoun, was Bassil’s rival in the elections for the party’s presidency in 2014.
