MP Simon Abi Ramia at a press briefing in Parliament, July 18, 2024. (Credit: Ali Fawaz/Parliament)
Simon Abi Ramia, one of four MPs who recently left the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) either through expulsion or resignation, accused the party's TV channel, OTV, of denying him the right to respond after an interview with FPM leader Gebran Bassil aired on Monday.
In a statement on Wednesday, Abi Ramia said he had refrained from engaging in disputes since leaving the party on Aug. 7, despite what he described as "disinformation campaigns and lies" aimed at damaging his and his colleagues' reputations. He accused OTV of providing a platform to MPs close to Bassil and other party officials, allowing them to lead a coordinated attack on their activist, political, and legislative records.
After Bassil's interview, Abi Ramia said he tried to contact OTV’s news director, Jad Abou Jaoudeh, but without success. He then reached out to the chairman of the board, Roy Hachem, invoking his "legal right of reply to respond to Gebran Bassil’s false accusations."
"This [Wednesday] morning, I was informed by Georges Aoun, the channel's director, that the 'management' rejected my request for an interview under this right. Naturally, I voiced my objection, considering this a violation of my legal and moral right," he added.
For Abi Ramia, this refusal is "further, clear evidence that a single narrative is being imposed on OTV, just as what is happening within the party." He added that he is considering "taking legal action" against this refusal, which he sees as a "lack of respect for journalistic integrity and professional objectivity." Abi Ramia reaffirmed his determination to "expose the truth transparently" and promised to reveal "all the facts during a press conference" he will announce next week.
During his interview, Bassil had notably accused Abi Ramia of traveling to Paris with MP Elias Bou Saab without the knowledge of the FPM.
"I fight internal battles fairly. And I worked until the last minute not to lose them [referencing the dissenting MPs,] because this is not the time to have such a problem when the FPM is defending the rights of the Lebanese people," Bassil stated.