The Free National Movement is celebrating the end of President Michel Aoun's term tomorrow in Baabda, with supporters accompanying him from the palace to Rabieh on the streets. In this context, the media representative of the presidency, Rafiq Shlala, stated that the official ceremony for President Aoun's departure from Baabda Palace will begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday, while the popular ceremonies will start at 11:30 a.m. The movement is rallying under the title "We Will Continue With You," where Bassil called on "the movement," his supporters, friends, and fans to accompany President Aoun with pride during his departure from Baabda Palace and to welcome him joyfully upon his return to Rabieh. He added, "One person told me today that President Aoun is leaving Baabda to enter history; I told him that General Michel Aoun entered history before he entered Baabda Palace because those who write history are those who make it."
On the opposite side, there are no movements or preparations to accompany the event, quite the contrary. The political forces that opposed the president fiercely throughout his six-year term, due to his performance and behavior on all fronts—sovereign, political, economic, and financial—decided, on this day, to refrain from any activity, according to political sources opposed to "Al-Markaziya." In this context, the leader of the Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea, stated, "We will not open champagne bottles at the end of President Aoun’s term despite all the tragedies that have befallen us during his presidency. The Lebanese Forces will not celebrate his departure from Baabda Palace, on the contrary, we have issued an internal memo requesting our members not to participate in any celebrations that may be organized in their towns or regions, because frankly, this is not a day for celebration but rather a day of deep sorrow due to the situation in the country."
For his part, the leader of the Kataeb Party, MP Sami Gemayel, expressed during his latest television interview on Wednesday that he hopes "Kataeb members" will avoid offensive remarks and provocations next Sunday, in respect for the presidency and for President Michel Aoun personally. The opposing forces refuse organized popular movements to prevent any clashes or skirmishes in the street, which the country can do without today, according to sources that emphasize the importance of respecting the position of the presidency, especially since they have done their part in opposing Aoun and his team through all available democratic and constitutional means over the past years. Thus, there is no need for any provocations today that would only lead to tension in the country and jeopardize its security and stability without yielding any benefit. However, according to the sources, some individuals might celebrate, but their actions and possible consequences will not be the party's responsibility, and it will not cover them in any way. The decision of the opposition parties is clear: celebrations are rejected and prohibited, the sources concluded.
