Will Bassil Expel Bou Saad?

It seems that the decision to expel Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saad from the Free Patriotic Movement has been made, following a series of contentious moments between him and the party's leader, Gebran Bassil. This conflict has driven Bou Saad to publicly distinguish himself from the Strong Lebanon bloc, particularly after being elected Deputy Speaker of the Parliament. His election marked the beginning of these disputes, and the presidential election issue has also contributed to these differences. Reports indicate that Bassil expressed his intention to sign a recommendation for Bou Saad's expulsion during a recent meeting of the political council, as decided by the Council of Elders, which acts as a disciplinary body, according to "Nidaa al-Watan." Additionally, it is reported that a recent reconciliation session between Bassil and Bou Saad did not yield positive results, as Bou Saad conditioned his cooperation on receiving a clear apology from Bassil for the criticisms he made against him during an extensive party dinner in Metn, as stated in "Nidaa al-Watan."