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The Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) (Arabic: التيار الوطني الحر, Al-Tayyar Al-Watani Al-Hur), also known as the "Aounist Current" (Arabic: التيار العوني, Tayyar Al-Aouni), is a Lebanese political party, led by Michel Aoun, a former commander of the Lebanese army who served as a transitory Prime Minister of one of two governments that contended for power in the final years of the Lebanese civil war (1988 - 1990). The movement was officially declared a political party on September 18, 2005.

Though originally, most of the party's support came from Lebanon's Christian community, it is gaining considerable support and sympathy from Muslims. The FPM party advocates secularism and the right to vote for Lebanese abroad.

Aoun return from Exile
For many years, while Aoun was exiled in Paris, he led the FPM from abroad. He returned to Lebanon in May 7, 2005 after the cedar revolution forced the withdrawal of the Syrian forces, and then contested the legislative elections held in late May in early June although it placed him on the head of the largest Christian group of deputies.

Aoun also contested the Cedar Revolution which itself gave him the opportunity to come back to Lebanon.


2005 Elections and rise of the FPM
At the time of the 2005 elections, the FPM had drawn up a political program which contains economic and political plans to rebuild the Lebanese economy and enhance the authority of the government over all of Lebanon's territory and to disband all armed Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias operating in Lebanon, including Hezbollah. In the FPM political program, Hezbollah is considered illegal, and the Shebaa Farms issue is considered a non-valid reason for the Hezbollah to continue to justify its presence in Lebanon. Following such a program, the FPM won a big Christian support and the FPM and its allies won 21 seats in the 128-member National Assembly, obtaining support from 69% of Lebanon's Christians.


 Memorandum of Understanding between the FPM and Hezbollah
On 6 February 2006, the FPM signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Shiite Hezbollah Party. Among other matters, the road map to the disarmament of Hezbollah was agreed upon by both parties, subject to the Shebaa Farms, occupied by Israel and generally recognized internationally as belonging to Syria, being declared Lebanese territory. The second and third conditions for disarmament were the return of Lebanese prisoners from Israeli jails and the elaboration of a defense strategy to protect Lebanon from the Israeli threat. The agreement also discussed the importance of having normal diplomatic relations with Syria and the request for information about the Lebanese political prisoners in Syria and the release of all political prisoners and diaspora in Israel.


[edit] 2006 Lebanese Anti-Government Protest
FPM moves from the opposition to the opposition
Main article: 2006 Lebanese Anti-Government Protest
On December 1, 2006 Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun declared to a crowd of protesters that the current government of Lebanon was unconstitutional claiming that the government had "made corruption a daily affair" and called for the resignation on the government. [1] Thousands of supporters of this party, Amal Movement and Hezbollah, according to the Internal Security Forces (ISF), gathered at Downtown Beirut trying to force Fouad Siniora to abdicate. His office, the Grand Serail, has been cut off from civilian reach due to potential high risk.

Orange TV

The Free Patriotic Movement finally launched its own broadcasting channel (Orange TV) in 2007. the channel is still in its testing period...

OTV or Orange TV is a publicly-traded television station in Lebanon. Affiliated with the Free Patriotic Movement though not officially, it started broadcasting on July 20, 2007 on the Arabsat-BADR 3 satellite, on the 11823 MHz frequency. It now also broadcasts on NILESAT 10873 Mhz Vertical.

It is the first time in Lebanon, that a Television station is a publicly-traded company. It may also broadcast on IO digital cable, which will make the channel the first Middle Eastern channel to be broadcast on American cable