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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Lebanon
Index
One of the oldest multisectarian parties in Lebanon, the
Lebanese Communist Party (LCP) was formed in 1924 by a group of
intellectuals. Over the years, the LCP has had very little impact
on Lebanese politics and has been unwavering in its support for
Moscow. The party was declared illegal by the French Mandate
authorities in 1939, but the ban was relaxed in 1943. For about
twenty years, this single organization controlled communist
political activity in both Lebanon and Syria, but in 1944 separate
parties were established in each country.
During the first two decades of independence, the LCP enjoyed
little success. In 1943 the party participated in the legislative
elections but failed to win any seats in the Chamber of Deputies.
The LCP again ran for election in 1947, but all of its candidates
were defeated; in 1948 it was outlawed. During the 1950s, the
party's inconsistent policies on pan-Arabism and the Nasserite
movement cost it support and eventually isolated it. Surviving
underground, the LCP in 1965 decided to end its isolation and
became a member of the Front for Progressive Parties and National
Forces, which later became the Lebanese National Movement under
Kamal Jumblatt.
The 1970s witnessed something of a resurgence of the LCP. In
1970 Minister of Interior Kamal Jumblatt legalized the party. This
allowed many LCP leaders, including Secretary General Niqula Shawi,
to run for election in 1972. Although they polled several thousand
votes, none of them suceeded in claiming a seat. But the LCP's
importance grew with the arrival of the civil disturbances of the
mid-1970s. The LCP, which had established a well-trained militia,
participated actively in the fighting of 1975 and 1976.
Throughout the 1980s, the LCP has generally declined in power.
In 1983 the Sunni fundamentalist movement in Tripoli, Tawhid
(Islamic Unification Movement), reportedly executed fifty
Communists. In 1987, in union with the PSP, the LCP fought a weeklong battle with Amal militants in West Beirut, a conflict that was
finally stopped by Syrian troops. Also in 1987, the LCP held its
Fifth Party Congress and was about to oust George Hawi, its Greek
Orthodox leader, and elect Karim Murrawwah, a Shia, as secretary
general when Syrian pressure kept Hawi in his position. Hawi, who
had been a close ally of Syria, was reportedly unpopular for his
lavish life-style and for spending more time in Syria than in
Lebanon. Murrawwah was probably the most powerful member of the LCP
and was on good terms with Shia groups in West Beirut.
Nevertheless, between 1984 and 1987 many party leaders and members
were assassinated, reportedly by Islamic fundamentalists.
Data as of December 1987
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