Lebanon elections: Gebran Bassil blames US and Israel for party's woes
The head of the Free Patriotic Movement could also lose his seat in parliament
Gebran Bassil, the head of the Christian-led Free Patriotic Movement, has hit out at what he said was a US and Israeli conspiracy in the Lebanese parliamentary election.
He made his claim as it appeared his party was set to lose seats in the election, including his own.
Mr Bassil, considered a parliamentary ally of Hezbollah and the incumbent MP for Batroun, said his party was not in a battle with Lebanese parties.
Instead, he said, they were in battle that began on October 17, 2019, when protests against Lebanon’s ruling classes spread across the country —demonstrations he claimed were engineered by the US, Israel and “its allies”.
Mr Bassil also reiterated his criticism of sanctions the US imposed on him personally in 2020 for alleged corruption and ties to Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite political party and militant group.
Official results on the final make-up of the 128-member parliament have yet to come and will not be formally announced until the coming days.