Qornet Shehwan Gathering
The Qornet Shehwan Gathering () is a Lebanese political organization, comprising politicians, intellectuals, and businesspeople, mostly Christian and ranging in ideology from the centre-right to the centre-left. The organization is not a political party in the classical sense: its members belong to, and in some cases lead, a variety of political parties. It is more of a loose coalition, although whether it intends to organize electorally is unclear. The coalition adheres to seven principles and pursues five objectives. History. The coalition takes its name from the town of its headquarters, Qornet Shehwan, a town in the  Matn District of the Mount Lebanon Governorate, and the seat of the Maronite Archbishopric of the district. It was founded on 30 April 2001 by total of 29 individuals, representing political parties and civic organizations, as well as independents, with the blessing of the Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir and under the leadership of the region's bishop Youssef Bechara. Membership (see below) has fluctuated since, as some founding members and parties are no longer affiliated. Even Patriarch Sfeir retreated from his earlier endorsement of the group (under government pressure, some allege) to a less partisan stance. Some who have  left continue to work with the coalition informally, however. As a prelude to a full withdrawal of Syrian troops, the Qornet Shehwan originally called for their redeployment to the Bekaa Valley and described Israel as the main danger to Lebanon. In the wake of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri on 14 February 2005, however, the Qornet Shehwan escalated its campaign to call for the immediate withdrawal of Syrian military and intelligence forces from Lebanon, and for fresh parliamentary and presidential elections to be held, free from foreign interference. Qornet Shehwan member (and now parliamentarian) Samir Frangieh said  on 16 March 2005 that parliamentary elections must precede presidential ones, because the current parliament (elected in 2000 and allegedly gerrymandered to produce a pro-Syrian majority), would be likely to elect another pro-Syrian President to succeed Émile Lahoud, whom the opposition considers to be a Syrian puppet. The 2005 parliamentary elections results were disastrous for the Qornet Shehwan Gathering, because most of their candidates lost to Free Patriotic Movement of general Michel Aoun, whose candidates grabbed 21 seats in the Christian heartland. Only 14 members of the gathering (Nayla Moawad, Jawad Boulos Solange Gemayel, Gebran Tueni, Samir Frangieh , Boutros Harb, two of the Kataeb candidates and six of the Lebanese Forces candidates) managed to get to the parliament. Principles. The Qornet Shehwan Gathering adheres to the following seven principles: Objectives. The Qornet Shehwan Gathering pursues the following five objectives: Membership. The following parties and individuals are or have been members of the Qornet Shehwan Gathering. Parties, and their respective members, are listed alphabetically, except for the leader of the party who, if a Qornet participant, is placed at the top of his or her party's list. Those who are currently members of the National Assembly are tagged  (MP). Present members. Lebanese Forces Democratic Renewal Movement Kataeb (Phalangist) Party Independence Movement – Harakat Al-Istiklal Maronite League National Liberal Party Independents