There is a widespread misconception in Lebanon regarding political party life. Talking about political parties in politics is akin to referring to cancer as “that disease.” This perception stems from the association of political parties with war. Many parents, who believed that their children should pursue their education, viewed political parties as entities that lured their offspring into combat. As a result, many opted to send their children abroad for studies rather than allowing them to join political parties at the time.
However, after the war, and with the relative stabilization of political life, political parties also regained their structure. They abandoned their weapons, and partisan activities became an integral part of the political process. Nevertheless, the demonization of political parties persisted, as they were seen as the successors of warlords. This stereotype did not fade, even as Lebanon entered a phase where parties participated in governance and elections, gradually replacing traditional family-based and feudal power structures.
In any normal political system worldwide, political parties are fundamental. They offer ideas and proposals, attracting members who align with their vision. The more successful a party is in elections, the greater its influence in public affairs through official positions and institutions. In Lebanon as well, certain parties have spent their post-war existence presenting political ideas, proposing projects and striving to gain the broadest possible representation in Parliament.
This is the natural course of politics everywhere. However, since the October 17 uprising, there has been a growing notion that political parties are illegitimate, that they have no right to hold power or to participate in the government. Such claims are riddled with contradictions, injustice and even embarrassment when addressing the role of political parties.
If political parties have made mistakes in governance, they should be held accountable in court and their political judgment should take place through elections. But to insist that governments should be formed entirely outside of political parties and the existing political framework—simply to appease certain factions or to deal with the ruling authority in a retaliatory manner—is nothing short of exclusion in its fullest sense.
The demonization of political parties cannot continue indefinitely. They are an intrinsic part of Lebanon’s social fabric, even if opposition exists against each one of them. Engaging in vengeful tactics against them is merely another form of dominance, similar to the power grabs committed by some factions in the past.
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