March 8 Alliance

The March 8 Alliance (Arabic: تحالف 8 آذار, romanized: taḥāluf 8 adhār) is a coalition of political parties and independents in Lebanon formed in 2005 that are united by their pro-Syrian[1] stance and their opposition to the March 14 Alliance. It was the ruling coalition in Lebanon with the government headed by Prime Minister Najib Mikati from June 2011 until March 2013.[2]

March 8 Alliance

تحالف 8 آذار
LeaderMichel Aoun
Founded2005 (2005)
IdeologyPro-Syrian government
Political positionBig tent
Parliament of Lebanon
69 / 128
Cabinet of Lebanon
0 / 20
Website
8march.org
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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.[3]

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 76 seats out of 128 (60%), in the first legislative elections since 2009.

Name Party/Bloc District Religion
Alain Aoun      Free Patriotic Movement Baabda Maronite
Hikmat Dib      Free Patriotic Movement Baabda Maronite
Roger Azar      Free Patriotic Movement Keserwan Maronite
Simon Abi Ramia      Free Patriotic Movement Byblos Maronite
Ibrahim Kanaan      Free Patriotic Movement Metn Maronite
Edgard Maalouf      Free Patriotic Movement Metn Greek Catholic
Elias Bou Saab      Free Patriotic Movement Metn Greek Orthodox
Hagop Pakradounian      Tashnaq Metn Armenian Orthodox
Talal Arslan      Lebanese Democratic Party Aley Druze
Cesar Abi Khalil      Free Patriotic Movement Aley Maronite
Ziad Assouad      Free Patriotic Movement Jezzine Maronite
Salim Khoury      Free Patriotic Movement Jezzine Greek Catholic
Assaad Dargham      Free Patriotic Movement Akkar Greek Orthodox
Mustapha Ali Hussein      Independent Akkar Alawite
Georges Atallah      Free Patriotic Movement Koura Greek Orthodox
Gebran Bassil      Free Patriotic Movement Batroun Maronite
Mario Aoun      Free Patriotic Movement Chouf Maronite
Farid Boustany      Free Patriotic Movement Chouf Maronite
Nicolas Sehnaoui      Free Patriotic Movement Beirut I Greek Catholic
Antoine Pano      Free Patriotic Movement Beirut I Christian Minorities
Alexander Matossian      Tashnaq Beirut I Armenian Orthodox
Hagop Terzian      Tashnaq Beirut I Armenian Orthodox
Edgard Traboulsi      Free Patriotic Movement Beirut II Protestant
Salim Aoun      Free Patriotic Movement Zahle Maronite
Michel Daher      Independent Zahle Greek Catholic
Elie Ferzli      Independent West Bekaa Greek Orthodox
Ali Ammar      Hezbollah Baabda Shia
Amin Sharri      Hezbollah Beirut II Shia
Nawwaf Musawi      Hezbollah Tyre/Zahrani Shia
Hussein Jashi      Hezbollah Tyre/Zahrani Shia
Hassan Fadlallah      Hezbollah Bint Jbeil Shia
Mohammad Raad      Hezbollah Nabatieh Shia
Ali Fayyad      Hezbollah Hasbaya/Marjeyoun Shia
Anwar Jomma      Hezbollah Zahle Shia
Hussein el Hage Hassan      Hezbollah Baalbeck/Hermil Shia
Ibrahim Mousawi      Hezbollah Baalbeck/Hermil Shia
Ali Mekdad      Hezbollah Baalbeck/Hermil Shia
Elwalid Succariyeh      Hezbollah Baalbeck/Hermil Sunni
Ihab Hamadeh      Hezbollah Baalbeck/Hermil Shia
Mohamed Khawaja      Amal Movement Beirut II Shia
Fadi Alameh      Amal Movement Baabda Shia
Nabih Berri      Amal Movement Zahrani Shia
Ali Osseiran      Amal Movement Zahrani Shia
Michel Moussa      Amal Movement Zahrani Greek Catholic
Ali Khreis      Amal Movement Tyr Shia
Inaya Ezzeddine      Amal Movement Tyr Shia
Yassine Jaber      Amal Movement Nabatieh Shia
Kassem Hachem      Amal Movement Marjeyoun Hasbaya Sunni
Hani Kobeissi      Amal Movement Nabatieh Shia
Ali Bazzi      Amal Movement Bint Jbeil Shia
Ayoub Hmayed      Amal Movement Bint Jbeil Shia
Ali Hassan Khalil      Amal Movement Marjeyoun Hasbaya Shia
Anwar Khalil      Amal Movement Marjeyoun Hasbaya Druze
Mohamed Nasrallah      Amal Movement West Bekaa Rashaya Shia
Ghazi Zaiter      Amal Movement Baalbeck Hermel Shia
Salim Saadeh      Syrian Social Nationalist Party Koura Greek Orthodox
Assaad Hardan      Syrian Social Nationalist Party Marjeyoun Hasbaya Greek Orthodox
Albert Mansour      Syrian Social Nationalist Party Baalbeck Hermel Greek Catholic
Tony Frangieh      Marada Movement Zgharta Maronite
Estephan Douaihy      Marada Movement Zgharta Maronite
Fayez Ghosn      Marada Movement Koura Greek Orthodox
Ossama Saad      Popular Nasserist Organization Saida Sunni
Adnan Traboulsi      Al-Ahbash Beirut II Sunni
Abdul Rahim Mrad      Union Party West Bekaa Rashaya Sunni
Faisal Karami      Arab Liberation Party Tripoli Sunni

2019 cabinet

The Alliance has 18 ministers -out of 30- (60%) in the current Lebanese Cabinet, it was equally represented in both parliament and cabinet.

Name Party Portfolio (Ministry) Religion
Elias Bou Saab      Free Patriotic Movement Minister of Defense Greek Orthodox
Gebran Bassil      Free Patriotic Movement Minister of Exterior and Expatriates Maronite
Saleh Gharib      Lebanese Democratic Party State Minister for Refugees Affairs Druze
Ghassan Atallah      Free Patriotic Movement Minister of Displaced Greek Catholic
Nada Boustani      Free Patriotic Movement Minister of Energy and Water Maronite
Avedis Guidanian      Tashnaq Minister of Tourism Armenian Orthodox
Hassan Mrad      March 8 Alliance State Minister for Foreign Trade Sunni
Albert Serhan      Free Patriotic Movement Minister of Justice Greek Orthodox
Salim Jreissati      Free Patriotic Movement State Minister for Presidential Affairs Greek Catholic
Mansour Bteich      Free Patriotic Movement Minister of Economy and Trade Maronite
Fadi Jreissati      Free Patriotic Movement Minister of Environment Greek Catholic
Youssef Finianos      Marada Movement Minister of Public Works and Transport Maronite
Ali Hassan Khalil      Amal Movement Minister of Finance Shia
Muhammad Daoud      Amal Movement Minister of Culture Shia
Hassan Lakkis      Amal Movement Minister of Agriculture Shia
Jamil Jabak      Independent Minister of Public Health Shia
Muhammad Fneish      Hezbollah Minister of Youth and Sports Shia
Mahmoud Kmati      Hezbollah State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Shia

Constituent parties

It currently holds 72 of 128 seats in the parliament after the 2018 elections and consists of:

Party Arabic name Ideology Parliament of Lebanon Government
Free Patriotic Movement التيار الوطني الحر Civic nationalism
23 / 128
government
Amal Movement حركة أمل Populism
17 / 128
government
Hezbollah حزب الله Anti-Zionism
12 / 128
government
Syrian Social Nationalist Party الحزب السوري القومي الاجتماعي Syrian nationalism
3 / 128
government
Marada Movement تيار المردة Lebanese nationalism
5 / 128
government
Armenian Revolutionary Federation الإتحاد الثوري الأرمني - الطاشناق Armenian nationalism
3 / 128
government
Lebanese Democratic Party الحزب الديمقراطي اللبناني Druze politics
1 / 128
government
Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party حزب البعث العربي الاشتراكي في لبنان Ba'athism
0 / 128
not in government
Popular Nasserite Organization التنظيم الشعبي الناصري Nasserism
1 / 128
not in government
Arab Democratic Party االحزب العربي الديمقراطي Arab nationalism
0 / 128
not in government
Union Party حزب الإتحاد Nasserism
1 / 128
not in government
Arab Liberation Party حزب التحرر العربي Arab nationalism
0 / 128
not in government
Toiler's League رابطة الشغيلة Left-wing nationalism
0 / 128
not in government
People's Movement حركة الشعب Left-wing populism
0 / 128
not in government

References

  1. Daoud, David (January 12, 2017). "Hezbollah's Latest Conquest: Lebanon's Cabinet". Newsweek.
  2. March 8 finished, Aoun out in the cold The Daily Star 10 July 2013
  3. El Basha, Thomas (March 22, 2013). "Lebanese PM announces resignation of his government". The Daily Star. Retrieved March 22, 2013.


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