Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party of Lebanon

The Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party of Lebanon (Arabic: حزب البعث العربي الاشتراكي في لبنان Hizb Al-Ba'ath Al-Arabi Al-Ishtiraki fi Lubnan) is the regional branch of the Damascus-based Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party in Lebanon.

The Lebanese branch of the undivided Ba'ath Party had been formed in 1949–1950.^[1] As of 1983, the Regional Command secretary is Assem Qanso.^[2] During the Lebanese Civil War, the party had an armed militia, the Assad Battalion.^[3] The party joined forces with Kamal Jumblatt's Progressive Socialist Party in organizing the National Democratic Movement, seeking to abolish the confessional state.^[4] The National Democratic Movement was later superseded by the National Democratic Front, in which the party participated.^[5] The party organized resistance against Israeli forces in Lebanon.^[5] In July 1987 it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.^[6]

In the 2009 parliamentary election, the party won two seats as part of the March 8 Alliance. The parliamentarians of the party are Assem Qanso and Qassem Hashem.^[7]

References

1. ^ Seddon, David (2004). A political and Economic Dictionary of the Middle East. Taylor & Francis. p. 85. ISBN 978-1857432126. 
2. ^ The Soviet Union and the Middle East. 8. Indiana University. 1983. p. 20. 
3. ^ Federal Research Division (2004). Syria: A Country Study. Kessinger Publishing. p. 282. ISBN 978-1419150227. 
4. ^ O'Ballance, Edgar (1998). Civil War in Lebanon, 1975–92. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 62. ISBN 978-0312215932. 
5. ^ ^{a b} O'Ballance, Edgar (1998). Civil War in Lebanon, 1975–92. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 149. ISBN 978-0312215932. 
6. ^ O'Ballance, Edgar (1998). Civil War in Lebanon, 1975–92. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 179. ISBN 978-0312215932. 
7. ^ "March14 – March 8 MPs". NOW Lebanon. 11 March 2009. http://nowlebanon.com/NewsArchiveDetails.aspx?ID=97943. Retrieved 24 October 2011.