{{Short description|Parliamentary bloc in Lebanon}} {{Infobox parliamentary group| chamber=[[Parliament of Lebanon]]|foundation=2022|parties=[[Taqaddom (Lebanon)|Taqaddom]]<br>[[Lana (political party)|Lana]]<br>[[ReLebanon]]<br>[[Watani Alliance]]<br>[[Beirut Tuqawem]]<br>[[Osos Lebanon]] |color=purple |ideology=[[Reformism]]<br>[[Social democracy]]<br>[[Secularism]]|members={{composition bar|9|128|per=1|purple}}|logo=|native_name=قوى التغيير|position=[[Centre-left politics|Centre-left]]}}
The '''Forces of Change''' ({{Langx|ar|قوى التغيير}}) is a parliamentary bloc in the Lebanese parliament which comprises multiple reformist parties and independent MPs. It originally consisted of 13 MPs following the [[2022 Lebanese general election]].
== Background == Many reformist groups emerged during the [[2018 Lebanese general election|2018 Lebanese general elections]] standing against the 9-year ruling and mostly repeat deputies in parliament and sought for change. Most notable of the group was the Kuluna Watani alliance.<ref name="watan10">''L'Orient Le Jour''. ''[https://www.lorientlejour.com/elections/article/1109395/lancement-officiel-des-neuf-listes-de-koullouna-watani-.html/2 Lancement officiel des neuf listes de "Koullouna Watani"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180429160055/https://www.lorientlejour.com/elections/article/1109395/lancement-officiel-des-neuf-listes-de-koullouna-watani-.html/2|date=29 April 2018}}''</ref> The alliance gathered with a new Political Party ("[http://www.sabaa.org/ Sabaa]") and 10 different campaigns and groups, most of which are connected to campaigns started in the protest movements of 2015 or the municipal elections of 2016.<ref name="128l">128Lebanon. ''[http://www.128lebanon.com/brief-on-the-lebanese-election-speculations-rise-as-deadline-nears.php Brief on the Lebanese Election: Speculations Rise as Deadline Nears] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180429222152/http://www.128lebanon.com/brief-on-the-lebanese-election-speculations-rise-as-deadline-nears.php|date=29 April 2018}}''</ref> The alliance included in addition to Sabaa which is a nationwide secular Political Party few local political groups, namely [[Libaladi]] in [[Beirut I|Beirut 1]] and [[Lihaqqi]] in [[Mount Lebanon IV|Mount Lebanon 4]]. Speaking at an inauguration event, [[Charbel Nahas]], whose party [[Citizens in a State|Citizens within a State]] joined the Koullouna Watani lists at a later stage, said the purpose of the lists was to provide an alternative to the "corrupted" power in Lebanese politics.<ref name="watan10" /> The Shiite [[Taharror]] movement was also established in the wake of the protests.<ref>{{Cite web |title=«تحرُّر» حركة «اعتراض شيعية» برؤية دستورية وطنية.. علي خليفة: لعدم القيام بمغامرات غير محسوبة |url=https://janoubia.com/2023/10/26/%D8%AA%D8%AD%D8%B1%D9%8F%D9%91%D8%B1-%D8%AD%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B6-%D8%B4%D9%8A%D8%B9%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%A4%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%AF%D8%B3/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=janoubianews&utm_campaign=tahror-shei&mibextid=Zxz2cZ&fbclid=IwAR36eJlXw4fhYL328pS_H1CCktQw_V4Eos-l7qNmAsVZjvKTiM5GQiwmWZA_aem_AaUFgTx6xWkYA0HoyxKRpIcNNc9N5W6PfiIKB_exV4BlK6JHnWueDHgPvZInFYHXkxk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9sud-Lkei8 |title=Taharror, for a Collective Lebanese Identity |language=en |access-date=2024-04-08 |via=www.youtube.com}}</ref>
== 2022 elections == During the [[2022 Lebanese general election|2022 Lebanese general elections]], many activists and previous organizations expressed intent to run with goals of replacing the political class and reforming the country.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-05-06 |title=Feeling lost in the weeds when looking at the different lists of the protest movement? Here are some tips to make things clearer |url=https://today.lorientlejour.com/article/1298681/feeling-lost-in-the-weeds-when-looking-at-the-different-lists-of-the-protest-movement-here-are-some-tips-to-make-things-clearer.html |access-date=2022-08-26 |website=L'Orient Today}}</ref> These organizations include, [[Citizens in a State]] which ran under the Qadreen lists, Shamaluna which ran in the [[North III|North III district]] and the Mada network which was made out of multiple smaller reform groups.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lebanon's Alternative Political Groups: Mapping the Opposition |url=http://politicalgroups.thepolicyinitiative.org/ |access-date=2022-08-26 |website=TPI Political Groups |language=en}}</ref> Many older and tradition parties joined October 17 lists such as the historic [[National Bloc (Lebanon)|National Bloc Party]] and the [[Lebanese Communist Party]] and other larger parties claimed to be members of the movement like the [[Kataeb Party|Kataeb party]], the [[Independence Movement (Lebanon)|Independence Movement]] and the [[Popular Nasserist Organization|Popular Nasserist Organization (PNO)]].
In total, these candidates received 237,667 votes (13.14%) and won 13 seats which formed a new reformist bloc in the Lebanese parliament.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-05-17 |title=Factbox: What is the make-up of Lebanon's new parliament? |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/what-is-make-up-lebanons-new-parliament-2022-05-17/ |access-date=2022-08-26 |work=Reuters |language=en}}</ref>
== Deputies == {| class="wikitable sortable" !Name !Election Area !Political Affiliation !Seat |- |Cynthia Fadi Zarazir |[[Beirut I|Beirut 1]] |{{Color box|f50025|||border=silver}} [[ReLebanon]] |Christian Minorities |- |[[Paula Yacoubian|Paula Sirakan Yacobian]] |[[Beirut I|Beirut 1]] |{{Color box|5ac5cb|||border=silver}} [[Tahalof Watani]] |Armenian Orthodox |- |[[Ibrahim Mneimneh]] |[[Beirut II|Beirut 2]] |{{Color box|1e40dd|||border=silver}} [[Beirut Tuqawem]] |Sunni |- |[[Melhem Khalaf]] |[[Beirut II|Beirut 2]] |{{Color box|white|||border=silver}} [[Independent politician|Independent]] |Greek Orthodox |- |<s>[[Waddah Sadek]]</s> |<s>[[Beirut II|Beirut 2]]</s> |<s>{{Color box|d60303|||border=silver}} [[Khatt Ahmar]]</s> |<s>Sunni</s> |- |Rami Fanj |[[North II|North 2 - Tripoli]] |{{Color box|white|||border=silver}} [[Independent politician|Independent]] |Sunni |- |<s>Michel Chawki El Doueihy</s> |<s>[[North III|North 3 - Zgharta]]</s> |<s>{{Color box|004eff|||border=silver}} [[Osos Lebanon]]</s> |<s>Maronite</s> |- |Halima Ibrahim Kaakour |[[Mount Lebanon IV|Mount Lebanon 4 - Chouf]] |{{Color box|006f66|||border=silver}} [[Lana (political party)|Lana]] |Sunni |- |[[Mark Daou|Mark Bahjat Daou]] |[[Mount Lebanon IV|Mount Lebanon 4 - Chouf]] |{{Color box|65c308|||border=silver}} [[Taqaddom (Lebanon)|Taqqadum]] |Druze |- |[[Najat A. Saliba|Najat Saliba]] |[[Mount Lebanon IV|Mount Lebanon 4 - Chouf]] |{{Color box|65c308|||border=silver}} [[Taqaddom (Lebanon)|Taqqadum]] |Maronite |- |Elias Fares Jradeh |South 3 - [[Marjeyoun District|Marjeyoun]]-[[Hasbaya District|Hasbaya]] |{{Color box|white|||border=silver}} [[Independent politician|Independent]] |Greek Orthodox |- |Firas Ismail Hamdan |South 3 - [[Marjeyoun District|Marjeyoun]]-[[Hasbaya District|Hasbaya]] |{{Color box|white|||border=silver}} [[Independent politician|Independent]] |Druze |- |Yassin Yassin |[[Bekaa II|Bekaa 2]] - [[Western Beqaa District|West Bekaa]]-[[Rashaya District|Rashaya]] |{{Color box|white|||border=silver}} [[Independent politician|Independent]] |Sunni |}
=== Activities === Along with many others, it was in nature for October 17 MPs to opt out on voting for long-time speaker [[Nabih Berri]]. For the deputy speaker the MPs voted for newly elected MP [[Ghassan Skaff]] however he still lost to long-time politician [[Elias Bou Saab]].
The 2 secretaries of parliament were elected immediately after the Deputy Speaker. Although not constitutionally required, it was decided that the secretaries would be attributed to one [[Lebanese Maronite Christians|Maronite Christian]] and one [[Lebanese Druze|Druze]]. The election process of the 2 deputies had large debate particularly by opposition MPs. It was suggested that each MP votes for both preferences in the same ballot and that the positions should not be based on religion. However, it was decided that voting would take place on the basis of one name per ballot.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2022-05-31 |title=Follow our live coverage of the new Parliament's first session |url=https://today.lorientlejour.com/article/1301191/new-parliament-meets-for-the-first-time-follow-our-live-coverage-here.html |access-date=2022-06-13 |website=L'Orient Today}}</ref> As a result of this Firas Hamdan, an opposition MP, who was one of few candidates for the Druze secretary, withdrew his candidacy in protest of the sectarian electoral procedure.<ref name=":4" />
==== Disputes and withdrawals ==== The newly formed bloc continuously faced disagreements with each other, like voting on the premiership and the presidency, failure to create common grounds with other parliamentary blocs and failing to unite with the parliament opposition. This led to the withdrawal of 2 MPs from the bloc, Michel Doueihy of Osos Lebanon and [[Waddah Sadek]] of [[Khatt Ahmar]], both citing political tensions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=وضاح صادق: أنا نائب تغييري مستقل خارج التكتل |url=https://www.lbcgroup.tv/news/latest-news/669952/%D9%88%D8%B6%D8%A7%D8%AD-%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%82-%D8%A3%D9%86%D8%A7-%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%A8-%D8%AA%D8%BA%D9%8A%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%8A-%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%82%D9%84-%D8%AE%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AC-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D9%83%D8%AA%D9%84/ar |access-date=2022-10-24 |website=LBCI Lebanon |language=ar}}</ref>
== See also ==
* [[17 October Revolution]]
==References== <references/> {{Lebanese political parties}} [[Category:17 October Revolution]] [[Category:2022 establishments in Lebanon]] [[Category:Parliamentary blocs of Lebanon]] [[Category:Social democratic parties in Lebanon]]