The Independence Movement (; ''Harakat Al-Istiklal'' or ''Al Haraka'') is a sovereigntist, reformist and secular center-right political party based in

Zgharta Zgharta (, ), also spelled Zghorta, is a city in North Lebanon, with an estimated population of around 50,000. It is the second biggest city in Northern Lebanon after Tripoli, Lebanon, Tripoli. Zgharta is officially the Zgharta-Ehden municipality ...

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

, founded in 2006 by Michel René Moawad, son of the assassinated Lebanese President President René Moawad and first lady Nayla Moawad; a former Member of the Lebanese Parliament.

Origin

The Independence Movement began as a grassroots initiative as part of the

Cedar Revolution The Cedar Revolution (), also known as the Independence uprising (), was a chain of demonstrations in Lebanon (especially in the capital Beirut) triggered by the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri. The popular movemen ...

, before it evolved into a structured political organization that aims to defend Lebanese sovereignty, independence, democracy, state institutions, and liberties. The movement equally advocates human and economic sustainable development, reforms and modernization of state institutions, reinforcement of governmental transparency and accountability, as well as civic engagement and participation in public life.

Chronology of Main Events

The movement is part of the anti-Syrian

Qornet Shehwan Gathering The Qornet Shehwan Gathering () is a Lebanese political organization, comprising politicians, intellectuals, and businesspeople, mostly Christian and ranging in ideology from the centre-right to the centre-left. The organization is not a politi ...

and the

March 14 Alliance The March 14 Alliance (), named after the date of the Cedar Revolution, was a coalition of political party, political parties and independents in Lebanon formed in 2005 that were united by their anti-Ba'athist Syria, Assad stance and by their opp ...

. In the 2005-2009 Parliamentary Elections, it had 3

Maronite Maronites (; ) are a Syriac Christianity, Syriac Christian ethnoreligious group native to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant (particularly Lebanon) whose members belong to the Maronite Church. The largest concentration has traditionally re ...

MPs for the

Zgharta District Zgharta Alzawieh District () is a district (''qadaa'') of the North Governorate, Lebanon, North Governorate, northern Lebanon. Its capital is the city of Zgharta. Geography The administrative center is the city of Zgharta. The district has 101 p ...

in the Lebanese Parliament, Nayla Moawad, Jawad Simon Boulos and

Samir Frangieh Samir Frangieh (4 December 1945 – 11 April 2017) was a Lebanese politician, member of the Lebanese Parliament and a leftist intellectual. He was from the Frangieh family, one of the well-known political families of Lebanon. Early life Frangieh ...

. Since 2009, the movement has been led by Michel Moawad, Jawad Simon Boulos and Youssef Bahaa El Douaihy. They lost the 2009 Parliamentary Elections against Suleiman Frangieh, Jr., Minister Salim Bey Karam and Estephan El Douaihy. However, following the 2018 Lebanese Parliamentary Elections, the Independence Movement gained a seat in Parliament with the arrival of its leader Michel René Moawad; representing

in the North III electoral sector. In 2022, the Independence Movement allied with the

Kataeb Party The Kataeb Party (), officially the Kataeb Party – Lebanese Social Democratic Party ( '), also known as the Phalangist Party, is a right-wing Christian political party in Lebanon founded by Pierre Gemayel in 1936. The party and its parami ...

and other Anti-Hezbollah independents to form a list called 'Shamal Al Mouwajaha' to bring down Gebran Bassil's presence in the North III electoral districts.

President of the Movement

Since 2009, the movement has been led by Michel Moawad (). He is a resigned Member of the Lebanese Parliament (Parliament of Lebanon); resigned in protest following the August 4th Beirut Explosion. In May 2018, he was elected for the first time to the

Lebanese Parliament The Lebanese Parliament (, ) is the unicameral national parliament of the Lebanon, Republic of Lebanon. There are 128 members elected to a four-year term in Electoral district, multi-member constituencies, apportioned among Lebanon's divers ...

representing the

in the North-3 electoral sector. Moawad was an active member of the parliamentary budget committee and played a pivotal role in fighting corruption and exposed the illegal partisan employment in the public sector. He is the son of the former Lebanese President President René Moawad, assassinated on the 22 of November 1989.

References

External links

Independence Movement "Harakat Al Istiklal" Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Independence Movement 2006 establishments in Lebanon Catholic political parties Christian political parties in Lebanon Conservative parties in Lebanon Lebanese nationalist parties March 14 Alliance Political parties established in 2006 Political parties in Lebanon Secularism in Lebanon