List of political parties in Lebanon
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Subdivisions
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Lebanon has over 90 political parties. Since 2005, and after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri , the political scene has become very polarised, with most major political parties and movements becoming part of one of two big rival alliances, the March 8 Alliance mainly led by Hezbollah, Free Patriotic Movement, Amal Movement, Tayyar Al Marada and the Tashnaq and on the opposing side, the March 14 Alliance .The name "14th March alliance", dates back to the Cedar Revolution which had as its goal an end to the Syrian military occupation. The groups are ideologically divided as one of them is pro-Lebanon "The 14 March Alliance", are in favour of, "free competitive markets, rule of law, structural reforms as well as individual freedoms. On the other hand "The 8 March Alliance" mainly controlled by Hezbollah and the Amal movement prefers more open relations with sanctioned eastern countries such as Iran for financial help and political rival crushing. They have tried to ask for financial help many times from Iran but the "14 March Alliance" has always opposed Iran's help as Iran always wanted to grip its claws to Lebanon with its militia/military proxy in Lebanon "Hezbollah".
Since the election of Michel Aoun as president in 2016 and the formation of a new Government headed by Prime Minister Saad Hariri , There were two sides, the March 14 alliance which surprisingly supported the election of Michel Aoun but only if mainly the Lebanese Forces having 7/20 of the governmental seats. Michel Aoun and Samir Geagea signed the "maarab agreement" and it was considered a historical peace between two rival and old political parties. Michel Aoun ended up not fiving the required seats to the Lebanese forces but samir geagea did not seem to complain until after the "17 october revolution" in Lebanon which samir geagea tried his best in trying to impress but to no avail. namely sides that were against the election of Michel Aoun as president in the 2016 elections, consisted of traditional non-sectarian parties such as the Kataeb party, the National Liberal Party . Since then, the political scene has been witnessing the emergence of new non-sectarian political groups such as Lihaqqi and Citizens in a State (MMFIDAWLA), in addition to many civil society groups who were loosely allied during the last parliamentary elections.Although they share a common goal to replace what they consider a failed political model, that was introduced following the end of the civil war leading to the 2020 economic crisis , they are not unified in order to assimilate and conquer the prevailing government. The then-elected government has failed its duties as a government and the Prime Minister, Saad Hariri, attempted to resign while he was in Saudi Arabia in 2017, but it was ruled unconstitutional. Later on, during the October protests he resigned as Prime Minister. Moreover, he was later designated in October,2020 once again as Prime Minister nevertheless his attempt at creating a government did not take place.
The consociational power-sharing model that tries to minimise conflict and promote equality are not written in the Constitution of 1926, nor has it appeared in the post-Civil War Taef Agreement. [1] Lebanon's unique experiment of a Sectarian Democracy trying to blend democratic principles and religious allocation of roles and functions together with 18 religious laws being applied to citizens’ personal status, in contradiction with the fundamental principles of democracy, the sovereignty of the people and equality of rights between the citizens has led to the sectarian division of the Lebanese people by law, to politically weak institutions, a divided nation and the chain of historical events such as the 1958 crisis and the 1975 civil war, Palestinian militant attacks against Israel from Lebanese territory, occupation of Lebanon by Syrian forces in 1976 and by Israeli forces in 1982 and the actual presence of weapons in the hands of Hezbollah outside the control of the Lebanese Government. Article 24 of the Constitution assigns half the seats in the national's legislature, the Chamber of Deputies, to Christians and the other half to Muslims. [2]
However, after the 2018 parliamentary elections , the political power in Lebanon shifted dramatically, with the Free Patriotic Movement leading in the number of seats in the Parliament and the Future Movement losing almost half of its seats. The Lebanese Forces almost doubled their seats in the Parliament.
Parties
Although most parties maintain that they are secular, the major political parties in Lebanon are loosely representative of a certain faith community. In 2005, the political scene became strongly polarized with most active political parties belonging to either the 8th and 14 March alliances. Since then, this division has become less and less significant as coalition governments became the norm. The following list places political parties within the two alliances.
Parties currently represented in parliament
Other parties
March 8 Alliance
Party | Abbr. | Leader or Chairman | Political position & ideology | Primary demographic |
---|---|---|---|---|
Arab Democratic Party
الحزب العربي الدمقراطي al-Ḥizb al-Arabi ad-Dimoqraty |
ADP | Rifaat Eid |
Arab nationalism
Arab socialism Baathism Pan-Syrianism |
Alawite |
Syrian Social Nationalist Party
الحزب السوري القومي الإجتماعي al-Ḥizb as-Sūrī al-Qawmī al-'Ijtimā'ī |
SSNP | Rabi Banat |
Syrian nationalism
Left-wing nationalism |
Secular |
Independent Nasserite Movement -
Al-Mourabitoun
حركة الناصريين المستقلين - المرابطون Ḥarakat an-Nassiriyin al-Mustakilleen - al-Mourabitoon |
INM | Ibrahim Kulaylat |
Arab nationalism
Nasserism Anti-imperialism Pan-Arabism Arab socialism |
Mainly
Sunni
Muslim
Some Shiite and Druze |
Lebanese Democratic Party
الحزب الديمقراطي اللبناني al-Ḥizb ad-Dimoqrati al-Lubnāni |
LDP | Prince Talal Arslan | Conservatism |
Officially
Secular
Mainly Druze |
Toilers League
رابطة الشغيلة Rabitat ash-Shaghila |
LT | Zaher Khatib |
Communism
Marxism-Leninism Socialism Arab nationalism ( Left-wing nationalism ) |
Secular |
Solidarity Party
حزب التضامن Ḥizb at-Tadamon |
Tadamon | Emile Rahme | Christian liberalism | Christianity |
People's Movement
حركة الشعب Ḥarakat ash-Shaeb |
SHAAB | Ibrahim al-Halabi |
Nasserism
Socialism Arab nationalism |
Secular |
Christian Democratic Union
الحزب المسيحي الدمقراطي al-Hizb al-Massihi al-Dimoqrati |
CDU | Neemtallah Abi Nasr | Christian democracy | Christian |
Nasserite Unionists Movement
الحركة التوحيدية الناصرية al-Ḥaraka at-Tawhidiyya an-Nassiriyya |
NUM | - | Nasserism | Secular |
Islamic Labor Front
جبهة العمل الإسلامي Jebhat al-A'amal al-Islamy |
ILF | Fathi Yakan | Islamism | Sunni Muslim |
Arab Unification Party
تيار النوحيد اللبناني Tayyār at-Tawhid al-Lubnany |
LUM | Wiam Wahhab | Arab nationalism |
Officially secular
Mainly Druze |
Promise Party
حزب الوعد Ḥizb al-Waad |
NSDP | Gina Hobeika | Secularism |
Officially secular
Mainly Maronite Christian |
Federation of Popular Leagues and Committees
تجمع اللجان والروابط الشعبية Tajamo' al-Lijan wal Rawabit ash-Shaabiya |
FPLC | Maan Bashour |
Nasserism
Arab Nationalism |
Officially
secular
Mainly Sunni Muslim |
Arab Socialist Union
الإتحاد الإشتراكي العربي al-Ittiḥād al-Ishtiraki al-Arabi |
SAU | Omar Harb | Arab socialism | Secular |
Democratic Nasserite Movement
حركة الناصريين الدمقراطيون Ḥarakat al-Nassiriyin ad-Dimocratiyoon |
DNM | - | Nasserism | Sunni Muslim |
Lebanese Arab Struggle Movement
حركة النضال العربي اللبناني Ḥarakat an-Nidal al-Arabi al-Lubnani |
LASM | Faysal Dawood | Arabism |
Officially secular
Mainly Druze |
Islamic Unification Movement
حركة التوحيد الإسلامي Ḥarakat at-Tawhid al-Islamy |
IUM | Said Shaaban | Islamism | Sunni Muslim |
March 14 Alliance
Party | Abbr. | Leader or Chairman | Political position & ideology | Primary demographic |
---|---|---|---|---|
Social Democrat Hunchakian Party
حزب الهنشاق (حزب الهنشاق الديمقراطي الإجتماعي) Ḥizb al-Henchag Սոցիալ Դեմոկրատ Հնչակեան Կուսակցութիւն Sotsial Demokrat Hnchakyan Kusaktsutyun |
SDHP
ՍԴՀԿ |
- |
Democratic socialism
Social democracy Armenian nationalism Secularism |
Armenian |
Democratic Left Movement
حركة اليسار الديمقراطي Ḥarakat al-Yassar ad-Dimoqrati |
DL | Elias Attallah | Left-wing | Secular |
Democratic Renewal
حركة التجدد الدمقراطي Ḥarakat at-Tajaddod ad-Dimoqrati |
DRM | Farouk Jabre |
Social liberalism
Secularism Reformism Nonsectarianism |
Secular |
Armenian Democratic Liberal Party - Ramgavar
حزب الرمغفار (الحزب الديمقراطي الليبرالي الأرمني) Ḥizb ar-Ramgavar Ռամկավար Ազատական Կուսակցութիւն Ramgavar Azadagan Gusagtsutyun |
ADL
ՌԱԿ |
Hagop Kassardjian |
Armenian nationalism
National liberalism Classical liberalism Pro-Europeanism |
Armenian |
Free Lebanese Armenian Movement
حركة اللبنانيين الأرمن الأحرار Ḥarakat al-Lubnaniyin al-Arman al-Ahrar |
FLAM | - | Secular liberalism | Armenian |
Free Shia Movement
التيار الشيعي الحرّ at-Tayyār ash-Shi'iy al-Hurr |
TSH | Mohammad Al Hajj Hassan | Islamism | Shiite Muslim |
Lebanese Peace Party
حزب السلام اللبناني Ḥizb as-Salam al-Lubnany |
LPP | Roger Edde |
Centrism
Decentralization Big tent [3] |
Secular |
Syriac Union Party
ܓܒܐ ܕܚܘܝܕܐ ܣܘܪܝܝܐ ܒܠܒܢܢ حزب الاتحاد السرياني Ḥizb al-Ittiḥād as-Siryani |
SUP | Ibrahim Mrad | Assyrian nationalism | Mainly Syriac |
Shuraya Party
ܫܘܖܝܐ حزب شوريا Ḥizb ash-Shuraya |
Shuraya | Assyrianism | Assyrian |
Non-aligned
Party | Abbr. | Leader or Chairman | Political position & ideology | Primary demographic |
---|---|---|---|---|
Citizens in a State
مواطنون ومواطنات في دولة Mouwatinoun wa Mouwatinat fi Dawla |
MMFD | Charbel Nahas |
Civic nationalism
Progressivism Secularism |
Secular |
Mada Network
شبكة مدى Shabaket Mada |
Mada | Horizontal Leadership |
Secularism
Democracy Social justice |
Secular |
Popular Bloc
التكتّل الشعبي at-Takattol ash-Shaa'bi |
- | Myriam Skaff | Christian democracy | Greek Catholic |
Azm Movement
تيار العزم Tayyār al-Azm |
Azm | Najib Mikati |
Centrism
Secularism |
Secular
Mainly Sunni |
Sabaa Party
حزب سبعة Hizb Sabea |
Sabaa | Hassan Baz Chamas | Liberalism | Secular |
Lebanese Social Democratic Party
حزب الدمقراطي الإشتراكي Ḥizb ad-Dimoqraty al-Ishtiraki |
DSPL | Kamel Asaad |
Socialism
Secularism Lebanese nationalism Islamic socialism Social democracy Democratic socialism Red Shi'ism |
Secular
Mainly Shiite Muslim |
National Bloc
حزب الكتلة الوطنية Ḥizb al-Kitla al-Wataniya |
NB | Michel Helou |
Centrism
Lebanese nationalism |
Secular
Historically Maronite |
Green Party of Lebanon
حزب الخضر اللبناني Ḥizb al-Khodor al-Lubnanī |
GPL | Philip Skaf | Green politics | Secular |
Hizb ut-Tahrir
حزب التحرير Ḥizb at-Taḥrīr |
HT | Ata Abu Rashta | Officially Islamism |
Officially Islamic
Mainly Sunni |
Phoenician Party
حزب فينيقيا Hizb alFiniki |
Antonios Abidaoud | Phoenician Nationalism | Secular | |
Socialist Arab Lebanon Vanguard Party
حزب طليعة لبنان العربي الاشتراكي Ḥizb at-Taliyeh Lubnan al-'Arabi al-Ishtiraki |
HT | Abd al-Majid Rafei | Ba'athism | Secular |
Movement of Lebanese Nationalism
حركة القومية اللبنانية Ḥarakat al-Qawmiyya al-Lubnaniyya |
MLN | Etienne Saqr | Right-wing nationalism [ disambiguation needed ] |
Secular
Traditionally Christian |
Aramean Democratic Organization
ܛܘܟܣܐ ܐܪܡܝܐ ܕܝܡܘܩܪܛܝܐ Ṭukoso Oromoyo Dimoqraṭoyo التنظيم الآرامي الديمقراطي at-Tanzim al-Arami ad-Dimoqraty |
ArDO | Gabi Gallo |
Arameanism
National conservatism Christian democracy Religious nationalism Pro-Europeanism |
Aramean |
Lihaqqi
لِ حقي Lihaqqi |
Collective Leadership |
Left-libertarianism
Grassroots democracy Economic democracy Radical democracy |
Secular | |
Lebanese Democratic Movement
تيار لبنان الديمقراطي Tayyār Lubnan ad-Dimoqraty |
- | Jack Tamer | Social democracy | Secular |
Lebanese Option Party
تيار الإنتماء اللبناني Tayyār al-Intimaa' al-Lubnani |
LOG | Ahmad al-Asaad | Liberalism |
Secular
Mainly Shiite Muslim |
Liberty Front
جبهة الحرية Jabhat al-Horriya |
- | Fouad Abou Nader | Center-right |
Secular
Traditionally Christian |
Najjadeh Party
حزب النجادة Ḥizb an-Nejjadeh |
Mustapha Hakim | Arab nationalism | Sunni Muslim | |
New Lebanese Movement
حركة اللبنانيين الجدد Ḥarakat al-Lubnaniyin al-Jodod |
Danny Abdel Khalek | Secularism | Secular | |
Arab Socialist Party
الحزب العربي الإشتراكي al-Ḥizb al-Arabi al-Ishtiraki |
- | - | Socialism | Secular |
Lebanese Ecology Party
حزب البيئة اللبناني Ḥizb al-Bi'a al-Lubnany |
- | Habib Maalouf | Ecology | Secular |
Popular Democratic Party
الحزب الشعبي الديمقراطي al-Ḥizb ash-Shaabi ad-Dimoqraty |
- | Nazih Hamza | Populism | Secular |
Lebanese Arab Movement
حركة لبنان العربي Ḥarakat Lubnan al-Arabi |
- | - | Nasserism | Sunni Muslim |
Organization of Communist Action
منظمة العمل الشيوعي Munaẓẓamah al-‘Amal ash-Shuyū‘ī |
- | Ibrahim Muhsen |
Communism
Marxism–Leninism Socialism Maoism |
Secular |
Kurdish Democratic Party
الحزب الديمقراطي الكردي في لبنان al-Ḥizb ad-Dimuqrati al-Kurdi fi Lubnan |
- | Riyad Mihhu | Kurdish nationalism | Kurdish |
Razkari Party
حزب رزكاري Ḥizb Razkari |
- | Mahmoud Khodr Fattah Ahmad | Kurdish nationalism | Kurdish |
Defunct parties
Party | Abbr. | Leader or Chairman | Notes | Ideology | Primary demographic |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Al-Tanzim Party
حركة المقاومة اللبنانية - التنظيم Ḥarakat al-Moqawama al-Lubnaniya (Tanzim) |
Tanzim | - | Political wing of the Al-Tanzim militia. |
Ultranationalism
Christian right |
Maronite |
Constitutional Bloc
الكتلة الدستورية al-Kutla ad-Dustuuriyya |
- | Khalil El-Khoury | Created by Bechara El Khoury to oppose Émile Eddé 's National Bloc |
Secular liberalism
Liberal nationalism Nonsectarianism Pro- National Pact |
Secular |
The Great Lebanese Labor Party
الحزب العمالي اللبناني الكبير al-Ḥizb al-'Ommali al-Lubnany al-Kabir |
- | - | This party existed during the French Mandate of Lebanon | Communism | Secular |
Deprived Movement
حركة المحرومين Ḥarakat al-Mahrumin |
- | Musa al-Sadr | Ancestor of Amal | - | Shia |
Arab Nationalist Movement
حركة القوميين العرب Ḥarakat al-Qawmiyyin al-'Arab |
- | - | Split, most merged into the Arab Socialist Action Party – Lebanon |
Pan-Arabism
Arab socialism Anti-Zionism Secularism National liberation |
- |
Syrian–Lebanese Communist Party
الحزب الشيوعي السوري اللبناني al-Ḥizb ash-Shuyū'ī as-Sūrī al-Lubnānī |
- | Khalid Bakdash | - |
Communism
Marxism-Leninism |
Secular |
Arab Socialist Action Party – Lebanon
حزب العمل الاشتراكي العربي - لبنان Ḥizb al-'Amal al-Ishtiraki al-'Arabi - Lubnan |
ASAP-L | Hussein Hamdan | - |
Marxism
Arab nationalism |
Secular |
National Youth Party
حزب الشباب الوطني Ḥizb ash-Shabab al-Watani |
- | Ahmad Karami | - | - | Secular |
Party of Socialist Revolution
حزب الثورة الإشتراكية Ḥizb at-Thawra al-Ishtirakiyya |
- | - | - | Maoism | Secular |
Communist Action Organization in Lebanon
منظمة العمل الشيوعي في لبنان Munaẓẓamah al-‘Amal al-Shuyū‘ī fī Lubnān |
CAOL; OCAL | Mohsen Ibrahim |
Communism
Marxism-Leninism |
Secular | |
Lebanese Republican Party
الحزب الجمهوري اللباني Al Hezb Al Joumhouri Al Loubnani |
LRP; PRL | Imad Geara |
Republicanism
Secularism Nationalism |
Secular |
See also
References
- ↑ In 1943, The National Covenant (Al-Methak Al- Watani) conditioned the seats according to the sects. The President, was to be a Christian Maronite, The Premiership to a Muslim Sunni and the Speakership to a Muslim Shiaa.
- ↑ https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Lebanon_2004.pdf?lang=en [ bare URL PDF ]
- ↑ Nash, Matt (2017-09-13). "The anti-establishment - Executive Magazine" . Executive . Retrieved 2019-10-30 .
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