March 14 Alliance
March 14 Alliance | |
---|---|
Leader | Saad Hariri |
General Secretary | Fares Souhaid |
Founded | 2005 |
Headquarters | Beirut |
Newspaper | An-Nahar |
Ideology |
Pacifism Anti-Syrian government |
Political position | Syncretic |
Seats in the Parliament of Lebanon: |
60 / 128 |
Website | |
14march |
This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Lebanon |
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The March 14 Alliance (Arabic: تحالف 14 آذار Taḥāluf 14 Adhār), named after the date of the Cedar Revolution, is a coalition of political parties and independents in Lebanon formed in 2005 that are united by their anti-Syrian regime stance and their opposition to the March 8 Alliance. It is led by Saad Hariri, second son of Rafic Hariri, as well as other prominent figures.
Parties that left the alliance
The Free Patriotic Movement of General Michel Aoun left the informal grouping before the 2005 general election, before March 14 was an established alliance, due to major disagreements. After the 2005 elections, The Free Patriotic Movement was the sole political opposition, but was joined one year later by the pro-Syrian government March 8 Alliance in November 2006.
The Progressive Socialist Party left the 14 March movement in August 2011.
Foreign Alliances
While the 14th of March Alliance accuses the 8th of March Alliance of being proxies of the respective regimes of Iran and Syria, likewise, the 14 of March Coalition is accused of being a puppet alliance guided by the American administration and funded by the Saudi government.
2006 Lebanon War
On the 12th of July 2006, the 2006 Lebanon War between Israel and Hezbollah started. During the war, the 14 of March Coalition took a stance against Hezbollah accusing the armed party of causing the war on Lebanon. However, Hezbollah claimed that Israel preplanned such a war, supposed to be waged on September during the annual rally Hezbollah holds on the International Qods (Jerusalem) Day.
The 14th of March coalition, amidst the war, urged Hezbollah to hand over their weapons, accusing the party of causing the war on Lebanon.
During the first few days of the war, former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Beirut and held a meeting with the 14th of March coalition and declared afterwards that a new Middle East will be born after this war, saying: "It's time for a new Middle East". Rice and Fouad Siniora met during her visit to Lebanon.
Claims
The principal political claims of the March 14 Alliance are:
- The exile of the former President Émile Lahoud, reputed an illegitimate president under the Syrian diktat in September 2004.
- Institution of a court for a case against the Prime Minister Rafic Hariri's killers.
- Pacification with Syria and review of the Syrian-Lebanese borders.
- Opposition to the Syrian interference in Lebanon.
- Institution of a weapons government monopoly, disarmament of Hezbollah and review; control of the Lebanese Armed Forces by the President and general Michel Suleiman and the police by the Prime Minister.
Member parties
Party | Arabic name | Ideology | Major demographic base | Seats in Parliament (after 2009 election) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Independence Movement | Harakat el Istiklel حركة الإسنقلال |
Conservatism Lebanese nationalism |
Maronite Christian | 0 |
Future Movement | Tayyar Al Mustaqbal تيار المستقبل |
Conservative liberalism | Sunni Muslim | 26 |
Lebanese Forces | al-quwāt al-lubnāniyah القوات اللبنانية |
Christian democracy Lebanese nationalism |
Maronite Christian | 8 |
Kataeb Party | al-Kataeb al-Lubnāniyya حزب الكتائب اللبنانية |
Lebanese nationalism National conservatism |
Maronite Christian | 5 |
Social Democrat Hunchakian Party | Hizb al-Henchag حزب الهنشاق (حزب الهنشاق الديمقراطي الإجتماعي) |
Social democracy | Armenian | 2 |
Armenian Democratic Liberal Party | Hizb al-Ramgavar حزب الرمغفار (الحزب الديمقراطي الليبرالي الأرمني) |
Liberalism | Armenian | 1 |
National Liberal Party | Hizb al-Wataniyyin al-Ahrar حزب الوطنيين الأحرار |
National liberalism Economic liberalism |
Maronite Christian | 1 |
Democratic Left Movement | Harakat Al-Yassar ll-Dimoqrati حركة اليسار الديمقراطي |
Democratic socialism Social democracy |
Secular | 1 |
Islamic Group | Al-Jamaa Al-Islamiya الجماعة الإسلامية |
Islamism | Sunni Muslim | 1 |
Democratic Renewal | Harakat al-Tajaddod al-Dimoqrati حركة التجدد الدمقراطي |
Liberalism Social liberalism Reformism |
Secular | 0 |
Lebanese National Bloc | Hizb al-Kitla al-Wataniya حزب الكتلة الوطنية |
Conservatism Lebanese nationalism |
Maronite Christian | 0 |
Free Shia Movement | Tayyar el-Shi'i el-Horr التيار الشيعي الحرّ |
Islamic liberalism | Shiite Muslim | 0 |
Syriac Union of Lebanon | Hizb al Ittihad al Siryāni حزب الاتحاد السرياني |
Assyrianism | Syriac/Assyrian | 0 |
Shuraya Party | Hizb Al-Shurāya | Assyrianism | Assyrian | 0 |
Lebanese Peace Party | Hizb as-Salām al-Lubnāny حزب السلام اللبناني |
Pacifism | Secular | 0 |
See also
External links
- Official website
- Independence party Official Web Site
- Kataeb Party Official website
- National Liberal Party (Lebanon) Official website
- Democratic Left Movement (Lebanon) Official website
- Tajaddod/Democratic Renewal Movement Youth blog