The National Liberal Party
- The National Liberal Party was founded in 1958 by President Camille Chamoun (aka the tiger), president of Lebanon from 1952 to 1958. The NLP is mainly supported by Christians, it is considered Central right.
In 1968, the party joined The Helf Alliance formed with the two other big mainly Christian parties in Lebanon: the Kataeb of Pierre Gemayel, and National Bloc of Raymond Eddé. During the Lebanese Civil War of 1975 - 1990, the NLP was aligned with the mainly Maronite Christian alliance who fought the Lebanese National Movement. It had its own armed militia, the Tigers.
In 1976, the NLP joined with the Kataeb Party (Phalange) and the Lebanese Renewal Party (LRP) to form the Lebanese Front, a political coalition on headed by Shamoun. This was paralleled by the joining of the militias under a central command, the Lebanese Forces, headed by Phalange leader Bashir Gemayel. In 1980, Gemayel turned on the Tigers, and in a surprise attack in Safra eliminated the militia. The NLP has survived as a party, however.
Shamoun also played a vital role against passing what was known as the 'triple agreement' between Elie Hobeika, Walid Junblat and Nabih Berri
as he supported Doctor Samir Gaegae against the agreement. When the tiger died in 1987 he was succeeded by his son Dany Shamoun, who was assassinated in 1990 under mysterious circumstances.
Dany was succeeded by his brother, Dory Shamoun, who was one of the major opposition characters in Lebanon and a vital member of the 'Kornet Shehwan' gathering, opposing the Syrian occupation of Lebanon, but later left because of what it alleged was 'corruption' in this gathering, he is also a vital member of the March 14 Alliance.
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