Bassil: FPM Endures Political Assassination, Govt. Survives Toppling Bid

Head of the Free Patriotic Movement MP Jebran Bassil on Saturday said Lebanon survived an attempt to topple its government, and pointed to what he said were “mass political assassination” bids against his party.

“Lebanon has been moving from one calamity to another, the latest was the attempt to topple its government as part of an economic conspiracy. We did predict this. We named it economic October 13 (conspiracy),” said Bassil in a televised speech.

He urged the government to stay ready to “prevent the fall of change. We will not withdraw our confidence from the government as long as the alternative is not available, and as long as it gets things done. We will not put the country in vacuum as happened with the previous government.”

On the sectarian incidents in Tripoli and Beirut, he said: “We will strike everyone who causes strife. The Sunni-Shiite strife must not be incited and will fail as long as officials reject it.

"Christian-Muslim strife is forbidden and it will always be preserved through the deep understandings similar to Mar Mikhael agreement. Also, coexistence in the Mountain is sacred for us," he said.

“The goal from the Baabda meeting is to prevent strife,” added Bassil, referring to the June 25 meeting that President Michel Aoun invited for.

On monetary stability, the MP said: “Monetary stability is the responsibility of the Central Bank. But it can not be achieved through pumping limited amounts of dollars into the Lebanese market.”

The FPM head said his party is being subjected to “mass political assassination attempts. No one can prevent the FPM from telling the truth,” adding that he is “still able to calm our youth to make them endure the insults and aggression from thugs,” but can not do that for ever, he warned.

“We are being subject to mass political assassinations because of liars. I can sense the anger of our supporters and I apologize to them and urge them to calm down and have patience.”

Bassil who has always been accused of wanting to become President said: “I don’t want to become President, I want to fight corruption. The government and the (presidential) term are in crisis, the street is in crisis, supporters of the government are in crisis, everybody can help in the salvation process. Counting on the outside for power is a wrong bet," he concluded.