The Free Patriotic Movement announced its electoral lists during a huge festival held at the Forum de Beirut at 10:30 this morning.
The ceremony began with an opening speech by journalist Ghassan Saoud, followed by a presentation of the electoral program, which consists of four main axes: developing the system and aspiration for a civil state, strengthening national sovereignty, protecting Lebanon, promoting respect for human rights and gender equality, protecting groups at risk or marginalization, and developing an economic, social and financial plan.
After announcing the names of the candidates distributed over 13 electoral districts, the head of the Free Patriotic Movement delivered a speech, saying: “We had faith at the beginning of this era but aware of its difficulties, and today we want to apologize because we were unable to build a state and we apologize because the Lebanese are deprived of electricity, even if we are not the reason.”
Bassil added: “They thought that they had killed us, and that the elections would bury us, and they strangled us with sanctions, money, media and alliances. During the war they hit our society with gunpowder, and during peace they hit it with political money; we ask the people to prove through the elections that our party is a need and a necessity for Lebanon.”
“We want to hold accountable those we have forgiven on the grounds that we are one team that supports the president, but elected the president to defeat him, bring him down and ridicule him. They did not accept the presidency of Michel Aoun, but rather, they planned to thwart him, because his decision was on his own. They wanted to thwart the experience of a strong president based on popular support and return to electing a weak president,” Bassil continued.
Source: Al-Manar English Website
