MP Salim Aoun says no truth to rumors of divisions within their ranks

MP Salim Aoun clarified that "the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) has aligned with the Lebanese Forces, the Kataeb party, and some independent MPs over the name of former minister Jihad Azour," considering that "Azour's non-public adoption comes in the context of providing suitable conditions to secure his success by not presenting him as a challenger."

In an interview with "Voice of all Lebanon," Aoun linked "the announcement of the candidacy step with Speaker Nabih Berri's invitation to an electoral session," stating: "If we are invited today to a session, the party's votes will be fully in favor of Azour. There is no truth to the rumors of divisions within our ranks, but it is natural to have internal discussions, which does not mean deviating from the leadership's decision."

In this context, Aoun explained that "the statement of the Strong Lebanon Bloc on Tuesday did not adopt the candidacy for the reasons above, in addition to the fact that the bloc includes allies, primarily the Tashnaq Party, which expresses its stance, while the position of the FPM is expressed through the statements of the political body."

Aoun also suggested that "the presidential vacuum may persist despite the prevailing convergence atmosphere, throwing the ball in the court of Amal Movement and Hezbollah, which should abandon their insistence on their candidate and not open the discussion about another candidate."

Aoun asked, "If we could align with the Lebanese Forces, what prevents us from reaching a convergence with the ally of the FPM, namely Hezbollah?"