Many difficulties are facing the Free Patriotic Movement, in marketing its list in Beirut’s first district, and it is based on electoral numbers obtained in 2018, and these numbers have changed dramatically.
The Tayyar refuses to acknowledge the decline in its popularity, and despite the difficulties that accompanied the drafting of the list until the last moments, the movement had no ally, but the calamities brought together the Tashnak and the Free Patriotic Movement in one list.
Although the movement is trying to broadcast fabricated news to raise the morale of its supporters, but what officials inside the corridors and closed rooms say, is completely different from the announced speech.
Some of those who are in the Tayyar’s orbit, assure “Sawt Beirut International” website, that “matters are difficult, and we have to speak frankly, as the movement is not in the best condition, and admitting the movement’s decline in popularity is better than talking about fake numbers.”
One of those who worked with the late Masoud al-Ashqar in the 2018 elections, and he is today part of the Tayyar’s electoral machine, says that “the movement will only get one seat with difficulty. After obtaining nearly 6000 votes in 2018, finds it very difficult to achieve the same figure, as it lost has nearly 15,000 votes, at least.”
And the same source continues, “definitely, we will lose the minority seat that we won in 2018, and we must focus today on the victory of candidate Nicolas Sehnaoui, and endorse the largest number of votes in order to secure victory.”
As for the distribution of the current’s votes, the source says “it is impossible, and everyone who is nominated on Al-Tayyar’s list knows in advance that he will not get the preferential vote, and those who joined the list are for supporting the Tayyar, not in order to obtain preferential vote.”
Concerning the alliance with the Tashnak, the source reveals that the Armenian party was clear from the beginning, and confirmed that its stance is clear, and it focuses on the battle of Hagop Pakradounian in the Matn, and on the strength of the Tashnak in case he needed to secure his victory, and therefore there are no additional votes in order to direct to the Tayyar in Beirut’s first district, especially as it wants to secure his candidate in this constituency.
The source points out that the Lebanese Armenians abroad will be brought to Lebanon to participate in the elections, but not all Armenians, only those who vote in Metn, because the Tashnak lacks the financial capacity and is suffering from an economic crisis.
This means that the Tashnak candidate in Beirut’s first district is fighting the battle alone, and he depends on the votes of Tashnak locals.