Lebanon Opposition: Who’s Who?

The parliamentary elections scheduled for May of this year are almost certainly the most important Lebanon has ever had up to this point.

This small eastern-Mediterranean nation of about 7 million people has witnessed catastrophes in the past few years: a financial and economic collapse the World Bank says could be one of the worst the globe has seen since the mid-1900s, a nuclear-like explosion at the Port of Beirut, and an acute energy crisis.

But before these crises really hit and the Lebanese were left reeling under the results of decades of rampant corruption and mismanagement, an unprecedented uprising shook the ruling elite and brought something new to the political scene. The “October 17 Revolution” gathered citizens from all religious sects, communities, regions and affiliations, uniting them under one main cause: holding those responsible for the collapse accountable.

From this popular uprising we have seen the emergence of several grassroots movements, challenging the status quo which has looted the country since the early 1990s. Some of these parties were even founded as early as 2015.

In this piece we shall, very briefly, introduce you to some of these parties which are mobilising in anticipation for the polls, share a common goal of establishing a secular, welfare and truly democratic state, where Lebanese citizens are treated equally.

The Parties

The National Bloc

Logo of the liberal National Bloc party.

The National Bloc was established in 1946, but the party was practically absent throughout the civil wars of 1958 and 1975-1990 - refusing to partake in the fighting. It made a comeback to political life in the country after the October 2019 uprising, attracting the youth demographic.

The party’s ideology stands on liberalism and secularism, despite being close to mainly-Christian forces pre-1975. It believes in a free economy and social justice, and its slogan is “Green, Just, Prosperous, Lebanon”. The party has already begun announcing its candidates for a number of constituencies.

Tahalof Watani

The Logo of the Tahalof Watani or National Coalition.

Tahalof Watani (or National Coalition) is one of the parties that emerged after the 2015 protests in Lebanon over the trash crisis.

Formerly named ‘Kulluna Watani’, loosely translated to ‘All For the Nation’, this party was the only one that managed to win a seat in the 2018 parliamentary elections, represented by Paula Yaacoubian.

Yaacoubian resigned from parliament in August 2020 after the port blast, which killed over 200 people, wounded thousands and devastated swathes of the capital city. It aims to rebuild a state of citizenry, diversity, democracy, sovereignty and justice, and is in the phase of choosing candidates.

Li Haqqi

The logo of the left-wing Li Haqqi (or For My Right) party.

Li Haqqi (or For My Right) was founded as a youth-led campaign in 2018, starting from Mount Lebanon’s Chouf-Aley districts. This progressive social and political movement believes in decentralisation and participatory democracy, and “Power to the People”.

The left-wing organisation is very outspoken about feminism, LGBT rights and other human rights issues.

Mouwatinoun wa Mouwatinat Fi Dawla

Logo of the left-wing Mouwatinoun wa Mouwatinat Fi Dawla ('MMFD') bloc.

Mouwatinoun wa Mouwatinat Fi Dawla, abbreviated MMFD and translated to Citizens In A State (with ‘Citizens’ being gender-neutral). Founded in 2016, the party also aligns itself largely with left-wing policies.

It also ran in the 2018 elections, and wants to run independently again in the upcoming 2022 polls. Founded by former minister Charbel Nahhas, the party believes in a civil, democratic, just and capable state, which uses its resources for the people.

Taqaddom

Logo for the secularTaqaddom (or Progress) party.

Taqaddom (or Progress) is a democratic, progressive, secular party working for social justice and sustainable development that took part in the 2018 elections. Founded by Marc Daou, Taqaddom has often been criticised for allying itself with other so-called establishment parties, which have been part of the ruling class even before the 1975 war.

Shamaluna

Logo for the North Lebanese Shamaluna, or Our North, coalition.

Shamaluna, or Our North, is a newly-founded coalition of parties preparing for the elections in the North Lebanon 3 constituency, which includes the Bcharreh, Zgharta, Koura and Batroun districts. This coalition are putting forward some some well-known faces from Lebanon’s media scene as candidates in this years election. Currently, the coalition consists of: Osos (Foundations), Koura Independent Community, Al Fekr El Horr (Free Thought), and Al Mashrou’ Al Badeel (The Alternative Project). Shamaluna is in full force for the May polls, holding primary elections and announcing its program. They want a Lebanon where citizens can live a “decent life.”

Sabaa

Logo for Sabaa (Seven) .

Sabaa (Seven) was one of the first parties to emerge following the 2015 protests. It wants to fight corruption embedded in Lebanon’s system, and in 2018 one of its candidates, Ghada Eid, came close to winning a seat in the Chouf-Aley constituency. They plan on running again.

As part of the Lebanese Votes 2022 series , we will be featuring the opposition parties and alternative voices of the citizens taking to the polls in May.