Aoun leaves Baabda amid popular rallies, tight security

President Michel Aoun left the presidential palace in Baabda at noon Sunday amid popular rallies by his supporters and tight security measures in Baabda and across several regions.

The president’s six-year term ends at midnight Monday/Tuesday.

FPM supporters had erected tents on the roads around the palace on Saturday.

Aoun left his office shortly after 12pm and bid farewell to the palace’s employees. A presidential guard platoon later performed a salutation as well as the army’s anthem and the national anthem.

The president then delivered a speech at the Baabda popular rally before leaving to his residence in Rabieh, amid acclaim from supporters.

Aoun's departure from Baabda comes a day before his mandate expires without a designated successor, which threatens a new power vacuum in the crisis-torn country.