FPM denies remarks attributed to Bassil on Baroud, Azour

The Free Patriotic Movement has denied remarks attributed to FPM chief Jebran Bassil by al-Jadeed TV as “totally baseless” and “misleading.”

“The channel is carrying out a distortion campaign for known and exposed objectives,” the FPM said.

Al-Jadeed had reported overnight that Bassil had told a number of FPM lawmakers that “his presidential choice in the second stage is ex-minister Ziad Baroud.”

The channel also said that Bassil “had told FPM legislators that he would drop ex-minister Jihaz Azour’s nomination if they get a pledge from Hezbollah to give up Marada Movement chief Suleiman Franjieh.”