Koura MP Adib Abdel Massih. (Credits: Facebook)
Adib Abdel Massih, MP for Koura, announced on Thursday his withdrawal from the "Renewal" bloc. The announcement was made during a press conference at his home, as reported by the state-run National News Agency. This decision follows weeks of tension between Abdel Massih and the three other bloc members, particularly Michel Moawad. Now independent, Abdel Massih assures that he "will continue to be part of the opposition."
Tensions were revealed in early June by Michel Moawad during an interview with LBCI, where he mentioned "deepening differences between Abdel Massih and the other members, due to positions and behaviors that harm the group." Abdel Massih expressed his "surprise" at these remarks, claiming in a quick interview with L'Orient Today that he "did not know the reasons" for them. Besides Michel Moawad, the Renewal bloc includes Sunni MPs Fouad Makhzoumi (Beirut) and Achraf Rifi (Tripoli).
"After two years of hard work, I discovered the existence of a fifth entity whose motives I do not know, which led some of my allies to take positions without consulting me," said the Koura MP during his Thursday press conference. He also claimed to have "built bridges between the different parliamentary blocs to favor dialogue over boycott."
"I voted for Michel Moawad 12 times and once for Jihad Azour," added Adib Abdel Massih, referring to the 13 parliamentary sessions held to elect a new president, all of which ended in failure. Michel Moawad had been a presidential candidate, supported by the opposition, before withdrawing in favor of Jihad Azour, a former finance minister.
Abdel Massih also announced the creation of a "political office made up of personalities from Koura, which will later be expanded to other regions."
Shortly after Abdel Massih's press conference, the Renewal bloc issued a statement in which his three colleagues wished him "all possible success in his political career." The bloc "will continue the approach it has committed to towards the Lebanese," citing the group's "diverse composition" and the importance of "sovereignty, reforms, and independence."
The Koura MP's extensive political relations and certain positions are among the criticisms from the bloc towards Abdel Massih. Besides his good relations with the Free Patriotic Movement and its leader Gebran Bassil, Abdel Massih also boasts of his cordial and "personal" relations with the Marada leader, Sleiman Frangieh, both political figures from northern Lebanon and rivals of Michel Moawad. This is particularly the case with Frangieh, the presidential candidate supported by the Amal Movement and Hezbollah, and a direct competitor of Michel Moawad in Zghorta.
On May 25, a bodyguard of Abdel Massih assaulted a young Syrian in the town of Kfar Saroun, in Koura. The Renewal bloc criticized the Koura MP for his "timid" response to this incident, which was widely covered in the press and on social media.