March 8 Alliance

Lebanese pro-Assad regime political coalition

March 8 Alliance

تحالف 8 آذار

Founded| 8 March 2005; 19 years ago (8 March 2005)
Ideology| Pro-Assad regime
Factions:
Arab socialism
Syrian nationalism
Lebanese nationalism
Arab nationalism
Shia Islamism
Baathism
Christian democracy
Social democracy
Pro-Iran
Anti-Zionism
Political position| Big tent
Colors|  Orange, white
Parliament of Lebanon|

61 / 128

Cabinet of Lebanon|

16 / 24

* Politics of Lebanon
* Political parties
* Elections

Politics of Lebanon

Member State of the Arab League

* * *

Constitution

* Constitution of 1926

Human rights

Executive

* President (list)

vacant
* Prime Minister (list)

Najib Mikati
* Cabinet

Past Cabinets

Legislature

* Parliament

Speaker: Nabih Berri

Subdivisions

* Governorates
* Districts
* Municipalities

Elections

* Recent elections

* Presidential: 2008
* 2014–2016
* 2022–2023

* General: 2009
* 2018
* 2022

* Political parties

Foreign relations

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants

Minister: Abdallah Bou Habib

* * *

* Diplomatic missions of / in Lebanon

* * *

* Nationality law
* Passport
* Visa requirements
* Visa policy

Lebanon portal

* Other countries

* v
* t
* e

The March 8 Alliance (Arabic: تحالف 8 آذار, romanized: taḥāluf 8 āḏār) is a loose coalition of political parties and independents in Lebanon formed in 2005 that are united by their pro-Assad regime[1] 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.[2] Main parties of the March 8 Alliance are part of the third Cabinet of Najib Mikati since 2021.[3]

## History

[edit]

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.[4] 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.[5] 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

[edit]

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.[6] The FPM split from the March 14 Alliance on 6 February 2006, when its leader Michel Aoun signed a memorandum of understanding with Hezbollah.[7] FPM considered its project against the Syrian government completed when the Syrian Army left Lebanon at the end of April 2005.[8]

### Ruling Alliance (2011–2013)

[edit]

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.[9]

The government led by March 8 Alliance survived 22 months until Mikati's resignation on 23 March 2013.[10]

### 2016 presidential elections

[edit]

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

[edit]

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 |  Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party | 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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

The alliance gathered 61 seats out of 128 (47%) and lost their parliamentary majority but still won the Parliament speaker election.[11]

The 2022 Strong Lebanon bloc was formed by FPM (17), Tashnaq (3) and Akkar MP Mohamad Yehya.[12]

## The March 8 Alliance Today

[edit]

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.[13]

## Constituent parties

[edit]

See also: List of members of the 2022–2026 Lebanese Parliament

It currently holds roughly 51 of 128 seats in the parliament after the 2022 elections and consists of:[14][15]

Party  | Arabic name  | Ideology  | Parliament of Lebanon | Government

|
|
|
|

Hezbollah | حزب الله  | Shia Islamism
Anti-Zionism |

15 / 128

| government
Free Patriotic Movement | التيار الوطني الحر  | Civic nationalism
Lebanese nationalism |

14 / 128

| government
Amal Movement | حركة أمل  | Conservatism
Populism |

14 / 128

| government
Armenian Revolutionary Federation | الإتحاد الثوري الأرمني - الطاشناق  | Armenian nationalism
Democratic socialism |

2 / 128

| government
Islamic Charitable Projects Association | جمعية المشاريع الخيرية الإسلامية  | Religious pluralism

Islamic neo-traditionalism

Anti-Salafism

2 / 128

| support
Marada Movement | تيار المردة  | Lebanese nationalism
Christian democracy |

1 / 128

| government
Union Party | حزب الإتحاد  | Nasserism |

1 / 128

| support
Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party | حزب البعث العربي الاشتراكي في لبنان  | Ba'athism |

1 / 128

| support
Dignity Movement | حزب التحرر العربي  | Arab nationalism
Anti-Zionism |

1 / 128

| support
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

| government
Arab Democratic Party | االحزب العربي الديمقراطي  | Arab nationalism
Ba'athism |

0 / 128

| not in government
Arab Unification Party | حزب التوحيد العربي  | Arab Nationalism |

0 / 128

| not in government
Solidarity Party | حزب التضامن  | Liberalism |

0 / 128

| not in government
Lebanese Arab Struggle Movement | حركة النضال العربي اللبناني  | Arab Nationalism |

0 / 128

| not in government

'Former or inactive members'

* Popular Nasserist Organization
* Toilers League
* People's Movement
* Al-Mourabitoun
* Nasserist Unionists Movement

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Daoud, David (January 12, 2017). "Hezbollah's Latest Conquest: Lebanon's Cabinet". Newsweek.
2. ^ March 8 finished, Aoun out in the cold Archived November 16, 2017, at the Wayback Machine The Daily Star 10 July 2013
3. ^ Cornet, Wassim (May 17, 2022). "Lebanon's Hezbollah, allies lose parliament majority in elections". France 24. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
4. ^ "Hezbollah rallies Lebanese to support Syria". CNN. March 9, 2005. Retrieved April 28, 2010.
5. ^ Fattah, Hassan M. (March 8, 2005). "Hezbollah Leads Huge Pro-Syrian Protest in Central Beirut". The New York Times.
6. ^ "Lebanon.com Newswire - Local News August 7 2001". www.lebanon.com. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
7. ^ "Lebanese Christians shocked over Shia politics but this could be just the beginning | Ali al-Amin". AW. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
8. ^ Rudy Jaafar and Maria J. Stephan, "Lebanon's Independence Intifada: How an Unarmed Insurrection Expelled Syrian Forces", in Maria J. Stephan (ed.), Civilian Jihad: Nonviolent Struggle, Democratization, and Governance in the Middle East, Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2009, pp. 169-85.
9. ^ William Harris (July 19, 2012). Lebanon: A History, 600-2011. Oxford University Press. p. 274\. ISBN 978-0-19-518111-1. Retrieved April 7, 2013.
10. ^ El Basha, Thomas (March 22, 2013). "Lebanese PM announces resignation of his government". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
11. ^ "Lebanon election: Hezbollah and allies loose parliamentary majority". BBC News. May 17, 2022. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
12. ^ "تكتل لبنان القوي ٢١ نائبا".
13. ^ "Lebanon GDP 1988-2024". macrotrends.net.
14. ^ Bou Khzam, Ruba. "Lebanon elections results 2022". L'Orient - Today. 961. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
15. ^ Keuchkerian, Karine (May 17, 2022). "Here Are The Full & Final Results Of Lebanon's Elections 2022". 961. 961News. Retrieved May 17, 2022.

* v
* t
* e

Political parties in Lebanon

Ministers (24)|

| March 8 Alliance (16)|

* Amal Movement (3)
* Hezbollah (2)
* Free Patriotic Movement (6)
* Lebanese Democratic Party (1)
* Marada Movement (2)
* Syrian Social Nationalist Party (1)
* Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Tashnag) (1)

|

March 14 Alliance (3)|

* Future Movement (2)
* Lebanese Forces (0)
* Progressive Socialist Party (1)

Others (5)|

* PM's share (5)

National Assembly (128)|

| March 8 Alliance (60)|

* Free Patriotic Movement (17)
* Amal Movement (14)
* Hezbollah (13)
* Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Tashnag) (3)
* Marada Movement (2)
* Al-Ahbash (2)
* Ba'ath Party (1)
* Dignity Movement (1)
* Popular Nasserist Organization (1)
* Union Party (1)
* Independent (5)

|

March 14 Alliance (38)|

* Lebanese Forces (19)
* Future Movement (8)
* Kataeb Party (4)
* Independence Movement (2)
* National Liberal Party (1)
* Islamic group (1)
* Independent (3)

17 October Revolution (13)|

* Taqaddom (2)
* Lebanese Communist Party (1)
* Beirut Tuqawem (1)
* Tahalof Watani (1)
* Khatt Ahmar (1)
* Lana (1)
* Osos Lebanon (1)
* ReLebanon (1)

Others (10)|

* Progressive Socialist Party (8)
* Popular Nasserist Organization (1)
* National Dialogue Party (1)

* Politics of Lebanon

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template