March 8 Alliance (Redirected from March 8 alliance)

March 8 Alliance
تحالف 8 آذار
LeaderGebran Bassil
General SecretaryMohammad Raad
Founded8 March 2005; 19 years ago (8 March 2005)
IdeologyPro-Syria
Anti-Zionism
Factions
Conservatism
Syrian nationalism
Lebanese nationalism
Arab nationalism
Shia Islamism
Baathism
Christian democracy
Social-democracy
Pro-Iran
Political positionBig tent
Colors Orange, white
Parliament of Lebanon
61 / 128
Cabinet of Lebanon
16 / 24

The March 8 Alliance (Arabic: تحالف 8 آذار, romanizedtaḥāluf 8 adhār) is a coalition of political parties and independents in Lebanon formed in 2005 that are united by their pro-Syrian stance and their opposition to the former 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. Main parties of the March 8 Alliance are part of the third Cabinet of Najib Mikati since 2021.

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

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 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.

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.

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 in Lebanon Koura Greek Orthodox
Assaad Hardan Syrian Social Nationalist Party in Lebanon Marjeyoun Hasbaya Greek Orthodox
Albert Mansour Syrian Social Nationalist Party in Lebanon 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 had 18 out of 30 ministers (60%) in the 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 Tashnag Minister of Tourism Armenian Orthodox
Hassan Mrad Union Party 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

September 2021 Cabinet

The Alliance has 16 out of 24 ministers (66%) in the current Lebanese Cabinet; it is equally represented in both parliament and cabinet.

Portfolio name party Religious
Deputy Prime Minister Saadeh Al Shami Syrian Social Nationalist Party Greek Orthodox
Telecommunications Johnny Corm Marada Movement Maronite
Information George Kurdahi (resigned) Marada Movement Maronite
Ziad Makary Marada Movement Maronite
Defense Maurice Slim Free Patriotic Movement Greek Orthodox
Tourism Walid Nassar Free Patriotic Movement Maronite
Social Affairs Hector Hajjar Free Patriotic Movement Greek Catholic
Energy and Water Walid Fayad Free Patriotic Movement Greek Orthodox
Justice Henry Khoury Free Patriotic Movement Maronite
Foreign Affairs Abdallah Bou Habib Free Patriotic Movement Maronite
Displaced Issam Charafeddine Lebanese Democratic Party Druze
Labor Moustafa Bayram Amal Movement Shia
Finance Youssef Khalil Amal Movement Shia
Agriculture Abbas Al Haj Hassan Amal Movement Shia
Public Works Ali Hamiyeh Hezbollah Shia
Culture Mohammad Mortada Hezbollah Shia
Industry George Bojikan Tashnag Armenian Orthodox

2022 legislative elections

The alliance gathered 61 seats out of 128 (47%) and lost their parliamentary majority but still won the Parliament speaker election.

The 2022 Strong Lebanon bloc was formed by FPM (17), Tashnaq (3) and Akkar MP Mohamad Yehya.

The March 8 Alliance Today

Since 2020, the governance of Lebanon has been led by the March 8 alliance, with notable economic changes observed during this period. Lebanon's GDP experienced a significant decline, dropping from 51.8 billion in 2019 to 23.13 billion in 2023.

Constituent parties

It currently holds 61 of 128 seats in the parliament after the 2022 elections and consists of:

Party Arabic name Ideology Parliament of Lebanon Government
Free Patriotic Movement التيار الوطني الحر Civic nationalism
Lebanese nationalism
17 / 128
government
Amal Movement حركة أمل Conservatism
Populism
15 / 128
government
Hezbollah حزب الله Shia Islamism
Anti-Zionism
15 / 128
government
Armenian Revolutionary Federation الإتحاد الثوري الأرمني - الطاشناق Armenian nationalism
Democratic socialism
3 / 128
government
Marada Movement تيار المردة Lebanese nationalism
Christian democracy
2 / 128
government
Islamic Charitable Projects Association جمعية المشاريع الخيرية الإسلامية Religious pluralism

Islamic neo-traditionalism

Anti-Salafism

2 / 128
not in government
Popular Nasserist Organization التنظيم الشعبي الناصري Nasserism
Arab Nationalism
1 / 128
not in government
Union Party حزب الإتحاد Nasserism
1 / 128
not in government
Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party حزب البعث العربي الاشتراكي في لبنان Ba'athism
1 / 128
not in government
Dignity Movement حزب التحرر العربي Arab nationalism
Anti-Zionism
1 / 128
not in government
Syrian Social Nationalist Party الحزب السوري القومي الاجتماعي Syrian nationalism
Social nationalism
0 / 128
government
Lebanese Democratic Party الحزب الديمقراطي اللبناني Conservatism
Druze politics
0 / 128
not in government
Arab Democratic Party االحزب العربي الديمقراطي Arab nationalism
Ba'athism
0 / 128
not in government
Toiler's League رابطة الشغيلة Pan-Arabism
Marxism–Leninism
0 / 128
not in government
People's Movement حركة الشعب Left-wing populism
Arab Nationalism
0 / 128
not in government
Arab Unification Party حزب التوحيد العربي Arab Nationalism
0 / 128
not in government
Al-Mourabitoun حركة الناصريين المستقلين-المرابطون Arab Nationalism
Arab socialism
Nasserism
Pan-Arabism
0 / 128
not in government
Solidarity Party حزب التضامن Liberalism
0 / 128
not in government
Nasserist Unionists Movement حركة الوحدويين الناصريين Nasserism
0 / 128
not in government

This page was last updated at 2024-03-27 23:50 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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