The Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) (Arabic: التيار الوطني الحر, at-Tayyār al-Waṭanī al-Ḥurr), also known as the Aounist Movement (Arabic: التيار العوني, at-Tayyār al-ʿūnī), is a Lebanese political party, led by General Michel Aoun. It is the second largest party in Lebanon's parliament (after the Future Movement) and the largest party in the Christian half of the parliament. It has 18 out of the 128 seats in parliament (of which 64 seats represent Christians).
The FPM is the main party of the March 8 Alliance, which includes Amal (13 seats), Hezbollah (12 seats), and the Progressive Socialist Party (7 seats), as well as seven other minor parliamentary parties (who between them have 16 seats).
The FPM party promotes secularism, the rights of Lebanese expatriates, proportional representation, and a relatively high minimum wage. The party's support base is overwhelmingly from Lebanon's Christian community, but includes a small number of Shia Muslims. A central figure in the movement is General Michel Aoun.
Read more about Free Patriotic Movement: Aoun Return From Exile, 2005 Elections and Rise of The FPM, Memorandum of Understanding Between The FPM and Hezbollah, 2006 Lebanese Anti-Government Protest, 2008 Government Formation, 2009 Elections, 2009 Government Formation, OTV, 2011 Government Formation
Famous quotes containing the words free, patriotic and/or movement:
“I struck the board, and cried, “No more.
I will abroad.”
What? Shall I ever sigh and pine?
My lines and life are free; free as the road,
Loose as the wind, as large as store.
Shall I be still in suit?”
—George Herbert (1593–1633)
“Anti-Nebraska, Know-Nothings, and general disgust with the powers that be, have carried this county [Hamilton County, Ohio] by between seven and eight thousand majority! How people do hate Catholics, and what a happiness it was to show it in what seemed a lawful and patriotic manner.”
—Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)
“You watched and you saw what happened and in the accumulation of episodes you saw the pattern: Daddy ruled the roost, called the shots, made the money, made the decisions, so you signed up on his side, and fifteen years later when the women’s movement came along with its incendiary manifestos telling you to avoid marriage and motherhood, it was as if somebody put a match to a pile of dry kindling.”
—Anne Taylor Fleming (20th century)