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 | |
|---|---|
| Leader | Michel Aoun |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Ideology | Pro-Syrian government |
| Political position | Big tent |
| Parliament of Lebanon | 69 / 128 |
| Cabinet of Lebanon | 0 / 20 |
| Website | |
| 8march | |
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| This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Lebanon |
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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.
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 | 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 |
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
- Daoud, David (January 12, 2017). "Hezbollah's Latest Conquest: Lebanon's Cabinet". Newsweek.
- March 8 finished, Aoun out in the cold The Daily Star 10 July 2013
- El Basha, Thomas (March 22, 2013). "Lebanese PM announces resignation of his government". The Daily Star. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
| Ministers (20) |
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| National Assembly (128) |
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