(Credit: NNA)
MP Simon Abi Ramia, re-elected in 2022 in the Jbeil constituency, announced his decision to leave the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) in a statement, just days after the dismissal of another leading figure in the party, Alain Aoun.
"It's a sad day on a personal level to announce my departure from the Free Patriotic Movement, but I will remain faithful to the national principles of this political formation, which I have accompanied for a long time, and which has generated an exceptional phenomenon in the modern history of Lebanon," said Abi Ramia.
Abi Ramia, who claimed to have spent "36 years at the side and behind General Michel Aoun," founder of the party and President of the Republic from 2016 to 2022, cited "disagreements" with the leadership of the party, headed by Aoun's son-in-law Gebran Bassil, particularly on the unilaterality of its decisions-making.
"I am certain that what I express in this heartfelt letter is shared by a large majority of our party and the national community, and I will not let any voice ... affect my determination to continue my positive work in the service of my country," he added.
Abi Ramia's departure is another blow for the party, which earlier this month dismissed one of its most important deputies, Alain Aoun, nephew of the former president. The decision for his dismissal was justified by citing "repeated errors and a refusal to take comments into account."
Parliamentarian Elias Bou Saab, Vice-President of the Chamber of Deputies, was also dismissed on March 6 based on a recommendation issued by the party's Council of Elders on July 26, 2023.
Simon Abi Ramia could not be immediately reached for comment.
In the evening, the FPM issued a statement saying it had "learned through the media of the resignation of MP Simon Abi Ramia" and was "not surprised by his decision." The party said that Abi Ramia had "refused to attend any meeting of the parliamentary group, the political committee, the political council and the national council for around five months."
"The FPM regrets this decision. Its leader made efforts to avoid the loss of a deputy, always seeking to unite rather than divide, and to avoid chaos. As for the accusations made in the resignation, the party believes that it would have been more appropriate for Abi Ramia to address them within the democratic framework available within the party, whether through the amendment of the statutes or during the FPM presidential elections. The party president will explain what happened in due course, in order to shed full light on the truth," added the statement.