Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Lebanon Region

Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Lebanon Region حزب البعث العربي الاشتراكي في لبنان
Leader	Ali Hijazi
Founded	1953; 71 years ago (1953)
Headquarters	Beirut
Ideology	Neo-Ba'athism
National affiliation	March 8 Alliance
International affiliation	Syrian-led Ba'ath Party
Colors	Black, Red, White and Green (Pan-Arab colors)
Parliamentary bloc	Development and Liberation
Parliament of Lebanon	1 / 128
Cabinet of Lebanon	0 / 24
Party flag
Politics of Lebanon Political parties Elections

The Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Lebanon Region, commonly known as the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party in Lebanon (Arabic: حزب البعث العربي الاشتراكي في لبنان Ḥizb al-Ba‘th al-‘Arabī al-Ishtirākī fī Lubnān) and officially the Lebanon Regional Branch, is a political party in Lebanon. It is the regional branch of the Ba'ath Party (Syrian-dominated faction). The leadership has been disputed since 2015; however, Fayez Shukr was the party leader from 2006 to 2015, when he succeeded Sayf al-Din Ghazi, who succeeded Assem Qanso.

History

The Lebanese branch of the undivided Ba'ath Party was formed in 1949–1950.^[1] Assem Qanso is the longest-serving secretary (leader) of the Lebanese Ba'ath Party,^[2] first from 1971 to 1989 and again from 2000 to 2005.^[3] In 1953 it merged with Arab Socialist Party headed by Akram Hourani, and the current title was adopted.^[1] One of its secretaries general was Abdallah Al Amin, headquartered in Beirut.^[1]

Lebanese Civil War

The Assad Battalion كتيبة الاسد
Leaders	Muhammad Saeed Akkam (Abu Fahd)
Dates of operation	1975-1991
Headquarters	West Beirut
Active regions	Lebanon
Size	2,000 fighters
Part of	Lebanese National Movement Lebanese National Resistance Front Unification and Liberation Front
Allies	Al-Mourabitoun Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) Lebanese Communist Party (LCP) Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Syrian Army
Opponents	Lebanese Front Lebanese Forces Lebanese Army Internal Security Forces Israel Defense Forces (IDF)
Battles and wars	Lebanese Civil War

During the start of the Lebanese Civil War in 1975, the party had an armed militia, the Assad Battalion, of some 2,000 armed men.^[4] The party joined forces with Kamal Jumblatt's Progressive Socialist Party in organizing the Lebanese National Movement, seeking to abolish the confessional state.^[5] The Lebanese National Movement was later superseded by the Lebanese National Resistance Front, in which the party participated.^[5] The party organized resistance against Israeli forces in Lebanon.^[5] In July 1987, it took part in forming yet another front, the Unification and Liberation Front.^[5]

Post-war

In the 2009 parliamentary election, the party won two seats as part of the March 8 Alliance. The parliamentarians of the party were Assem Qanso and Qassem Hashem.^[6]

The Lebanese Ba'ath Party is also militarily involved in the Syrian Civil War and has sent forces under its control to aid Bashar al-Assad's government against the Syrian opposition. One contingent, allegedly 400 fighters strong, took part in the Daraa offensive (June 2017).^[7] Its commander, Hussein Ali Rabiha from Nabatieh, was killed during this operation.^[8]

Before the 2018 Lebanese general election, the Lebanese Ba'ath Party had suffered a split, with Regional Secretary Assem Qanso and Numan Shalq heading in different directions.^[9] Both factions had nominated candidates for the elections, but none was accepted into a list and were thus eliminated from the polls. Reportedly, the Syrian ambassador, Ali Abdul Karim, had lobbied against any list accepting Qanso's candidates, as his group is not recognized from Damascus. A Baathist politician, Kassem Hachem, was included in a list in South III as Amal candidate, but not on behalf of the party. Former Regional Secretary Fayez Shukr headed a list in Bekaa III.^[10] On 7 April 2019, the Lebanese Ba'ath Party and other parties staged pro-Syrian demonstrations in Beirut; this was the "first such show of its kind" since 2005.^[11]

During the 2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, an Israeli airstrike was launched on the Lebanese Ba'ath Party headquarters in Ras el-Nabaa in Beirut which killed a Hezbollah spokesman, Mohammed Afif.^[12] Following the fall of the Assad regime, the party's headquarters in Halba were stormed by a mob of anti-Assad militants.^[13]

Party leaders

• Mahmoud Baydoun (1966–1969)
• Magali Nasrawin (1969–1971)
• Assem Qanso (1971–1989)
• Abdallah Al Amin (1989–1993)
• Abdallah Chahal (1993–1996)
• Sayf al-Din Ghazi (1996–2000)
• Assem Qanso (2000–2005)
• Sayf al-Din Ghazi (2005–2006)
• Fayez Shukr (2006–2015)
• Abdul Mou'in Ghazi (2015–2016)
• Suheil Qassar (2016)
• Nu'man Shalaq (2016–2021)
• Ali Hijazi (2021–present)

Legislative elections

House of Representatives
Election year	# of overall votes	% of overall vote	# of overall seats won	+/–	Leader
1992	???? (#6)	???	2 / 128	2	Abdallah Al Amin
1996	???? (#5)	???	2 / 128	2	Abdallah Chahal
2000	???? (#5)	???	3 / 128	1	Sayf al-Din Ghazi
2005	???? (#7)	???	1 / 128	2	Assem Qanso
2009	???? (#7)	???	2 / 128	1	Fayez Shukr
2018	88,268	4.72	1 / 128	1	Disputed
2022	10,215	???	1 / 128	1	Ali Hijazi

See also

• Socialist Arab Lebanon Vanguard Party
• Lebanese Civil War
• Lebanese National Movement
• Mountain War (Lebanon)

References

1. David Seddon (2004). A political and Economic Dictionary of the Middle East. London; New York: Europa Publications. p. 85. ISBN 1-85743-212-6.
2. "The future of Syria's pawns in Lebanon". www.lebanonwire.com. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
3. The Soviet Union and the Middle East. Vol. 8. Indiana University. 1983. p. 20.
4. Syria: A Country Study. Kessinger Publishing. 2004. p. 282. ISBN 978-1-4191-5022-7.
5. Edgar O'Ballance (1998). Civil War in Lebanon, 1975–92. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 62, 149, 179. ISBN 0-312-21593-2.
6. "March14 – March 8 MPs". NOW Lebanon. 11 March 2009. Archived from the original on 25 October 2011. Retrieved 24 October 2011.
7. "The Lebanese Baath Party Announces The Death Of Its Leader In Daraa". Wasioun News. 6 July 2017. Archived from the original on 14 August 2019. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
8. "Militias of Lebanese Baath party Along with the Assad forces in the battles of Daraa". Needa. 15 June 2017. Archived from the original on 14 August 2019. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
9. قرارات طرد ستطال قياديين بعثيين. khiyam.com (in Arabic). 8 January 2017.
10. خاص - حزب البعث خارج السباق الإنتخابي .. فما علاقة الحلفاء؟. alkalimaonline.com (in Arabic). 7 April 2018. Archived from the original on 15 April 2018. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
11. Sami Moubayed (14 April 2019). "Syria political influence beats the odds, again, in Lebanon". Arab Weekly. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
12. https://www.barrons.com/news/lebanon-security-source-says-hezbollah-spokesman-killed-in-beirut-strike-3e3fe86d
13. "Syrian Baath Party office in Halba, north Lebanon, stormed, picture of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad thrown and trampled". This is Beirut. Retrieved 2024-12-10.

External links