March 8 Alliance

March 8 Alliance
تحالف 8 آذار
Founded 2005 (2005)
Ideology Pro-Syrian government
Political position Big tent
Seats in the Parliament of Lebanon
75 / 128
Website
8march.org
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Lebanon

The March 8 Alliance (Arabic: تحالف 8 آذار, translit. taḥāluf 8 adhār) is a coalition of various political parties in Lebanon. It was the ruling coalition in Lebanon with the government headed by Prime Minister Najib Mikati from June 2011 until 23 March 2013.[1]

History

The name dates back to 8 March 2005 when different parties called for a mass demonstration in downtown Beirut in response to the Cedar Revolution. The demonstration thanked Syria for helping stop the Lebanese Civil War and the aid in stabilising Lebanon and supporting the Lebanese resistance to the Israeli occupation.

Inclusion of Free Patriotic Movement

The Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) was the basis of the March 14 Alliance movement. FPM launched the Liberation War against the Syrian Army on 14 March 1989 and participated in all demonstrations against the Syrian occupation until the Cedar Revolution's mass demonstration on 14 March 2005. The Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) split from the March 14 Alliance on 6 February 2006, when its leader Michel Aoun signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Hezbollah. FPM considered its project against the Syrian government completed when the Syrian army left Lebanon at the end of April 2005.

Free Patriotic Movement led by Michel Aoun eventually joined the rival March 8 Alliance, becoming one of its principal coalition partners.

Ruling Alliance (2011–2013)

The Progressive Socialist Party left the March 14 alliance in January 2011 after being one of its cornerstones and ostensibly aligned itself with the alliance's Change and Reform Bloc after Walid Jumblatt visited Damascus. This move gave the alliance and its partners a majority in the parliament, enabling them to name Najib Mikati as prime minister to form the Lebanese government of June 2011.

The government led by March 8 Alliance survived 22 months until Mikati's resignation on 23 March 2013.[2]

2016 presidential elections

After a presidential vacuum that lasted from 23 April 2014 until 31 October 2016, the Parliament was able to elect MP and former General Michel Aoun, who in turn nominated March 14 member Saad Hariri as Prime Minister.

2018 legislative elections

The alliance emerged victorious as they gathered 70 seats out of 128, in the first legislative elections since 2009.

Constituent parties

It currently holds 70 of 128 seats in the parliament after the 2018 elections and consists of:

Flag Party Arabic Name Ideology Demographic Base Seats in Parliament (after 2018 election)
Free Patriotic Movement at-Tayyar al-Watani al-Hurr

التيار الوطني الحر

Lebanese nationalism

Civic nationalism

Maronite Christian 24
Amal Movement Harakat Amal

حركة أمل

Conservatism

Populism

Shi'a Muslim 17
Hezbollah Hizballah

حزب الله

Islamic nationalism Shi'a Muslim 13
Lebanese Democratic Party al-Hizb ad-Dimuqrati al-Lubnani

الحزب الديمقراطي اللبناني

Conservatism Druze 1
El Marada Movement Tayyar al-Marada

تيار المردة

Lebanese nationalism

Christian democracy

Right-wing nationalism

Christian, mainly Maronite 3
Glory Movement Harakat Majd

حركة مجد

Centrism

Secularism

Sunni Muslim 4
Armenian Revolutionary Federation Tashnag

الطاشناق

Armenian nationalism

United Armenia

Democratic socialism

Armenian 3
Syrian Social Nationalist Party al-Hizb as-Suri al-Qawmi al-Ijtima'i

الحزب السوري القومي الإجتماعي

Syrian nationalism

Left-wing nationalism

Secularism

Anti-Zionism

Secular with support across all communities 3
Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Lebanon Region Hizb al-Ba'th al-Arabi al-Ishtiraki

حزب البعث العربي الإشتراكي

Pan-Arabism Secular 0
Solidarity Party Hizb at-Tadamoun

حزب التضامن

Lebanese nationalism Maronite Christian 0
Skaff Bloc Kutlat Skaff

كتلة سكاف

Christian Democracy Greek Catholic Christian 0
Popular Nasserist Organization at-Tanzim ash-Sha’bi al-Nasiri

التنظيم الشعبي الناصري

Nasserism

Arab nationalism

Pan-Arabism

Anti-Zionism

Left-wing nationalism

Sunni Muslim 1
Arab Democratic Party al-Hizb ad-Dimuqrati al-Arabi

الحزب الديمقراطي العربي

Secularism Arab nationalism

Baathism Pan-Syrianism

0

References

  1. March 8 finished, Aoun out in the cold The Daily Star 10 July 2013
  2. El Basha, Thomas (22 March 2013). "Lebanese PM announces resignation of his government". The Daily Star. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
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