Ibrahim Kanaan, an MP who resigned from the Free Patriotic Movement, at a polling station in Jdeideh, Metn, on May 4, 2025. Photo taken from his X account.
Just months after their departure — whether by resignation or expulsion — from the Free Patriotic Movement, MPs Alain Aoun (Baabda), Simon Abi Ramia (Jbeil) and Ibrahim Kanaan (Metn) scored a modest but symbolic victory in Sunday’s municipal elections in Mount Lebanon, making significant inroads in their traditional strongholds.It was a clear signal to their former leader, Gebran Bassil, that their political relevance does not hinge on remaining within the FPM. But with the 2026 legislative elections a year away, these results are far from a guarantee of continued momentum. The victories are mostly limited to their hometowns and stem from electoral alliances that may prove difficult to replicate in a national race.Kanaan, since leaving the FPM in August 2024, has positioned himself as a key player in the Jdeideh-Boushrieh-Sadd municipal...
Just months after their departure — whether by resignation or expulsion — from the Free Patriotic Movement, MPs Alain Aoun (Baabda), Simon Abi Ramia (Jbeil) and Ibrahim Kanaan (Metn) scored a modest but symbolic victory in Sunday’s municipal elections in Mount Lebanon, making significant inroads in their traditional strongholds.It was a clear signal to their former leader, Gebran Bassil, that their political relevance does not hinge on remaining within the FPM. But with the 2026 legislative elections a year away, these results are far from a guarantee of continued momentum. The victories are mostly limited to their hometowns and stem from electoral alliances that may prove difficult to replicate in a national race.Kanaan, since leaving the FPM in August 2024, has positioned himself as a key player in the Jdeideh-Boushrieh-Sadd...