Free Patriotic Movement chief Gebran Bassil has said that the FPM has defeated a “conspiracy” aimed at “eliminating” it, after its candidate was elected as the head of the Order of Engineers and Architects.

“In 2017, we were electorally betrayed at the Order of Engineers and we lost with a difference of 21 votes. This was the same betrayal that the FPM and (former) President (Michel) Aoun faced after the Maarab Agreement, with the coup that took place against the presidential tenure and the attacks on it in the government and on the streets,” Bassil added.

“The government and Saad Hariri faced the same betrayal -- three betrayals in one year from the same person whose history is full of backstabbing and coups,” Bassil went on to say, apparently referring to Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea.