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National Liberal Party (Lebanon)

Ahrar

image by Eugene Ipavec, 20 June 2005

Introduction
Description

See also:

Political Parties (Lebanon)
Lebanon

Introduction

The Christians had two parties, the Jamail [Gemayel] family one (Kataeb) and the Chamoun family one (Ahrar).

Dov Gutterman, 11 May 1999

The National Liberal Party (Ahrar) is a Christian party of the Chamoun family. Flag from their website.

Dov Gutterman, 5 September 1999

Established in 1958 by Camille Chamoun after he left the presidency, the National Liberal Party (NLP) was a predominantly Maronite organization, although it had some non-Maronites and non-Christians in its leadership. More or less a political vehicle for Chamoun, perhaps the most charismatic of all Christian leaders, the NLP lacked a coherent ideology or program. Although the NLP never matched the organizational efficiency of the Phalange Party, they shared many views, including favoring a free-market economy, anticommunism, close association with the West, and, most important, the continuation of Christian political advantage. In the early 1970s, the NLP claimed 60,000 to 70,000 members and controlled as many as 11 seats in the Chamber of Deputies, and Chamoun had occupied several ministerial posts after his term as president.

During the 1975 Civil War, the NLP and its militia, the Tigers (Namur in Arabic), participated in the Lebanese Front, and Chamoun, who was driven from his home district in the Shuf Mountains, was an active leader in the alliance. When, in July 1980, Bashir Jumayyil [Gemayel] launched a surprise attack, defeating the Tigers, the political and military significance of the NLP declined. The party again suffered a severe setback in August 1987 when Chamoun died. His son Dani assumed the chairmanship of the party, which still harbored hopes for the presidential election scheduled for 1988.

Source: this website, in turn quoting the U.S. Library of Congress. A biography of Camille Chamoun is available at this Wikipedia article.

Esteban Rivera, 19 June 2005

Description

The flag shows a dark yellow stylized cedar on a white over red field. On the emblem it is shown as a golden cedar, it appears to have been correctly interpreted as dark yellow on the flag.

Santiago Dotor, 11 November 2002