The Free Patriotic Movement in Lebanon carried the cause of Lebanese freedom, sovereignty and independence, which were extremely sensitive topics for the de jure Lebanese governments who fell under the influence of Syria. These Lebanese governments did not lack the means to attempt to prevent the movement from emerging. However, against all odds, the Free Patriotic Movement continued to emerge in Lebanon and persisted in the organization of collective activity, which include protests and demonstrations among other activities. Even after the withdrawal of the Syrian troops from Lebanon in 2005, the FPM transformed into a political party and became quite active in Lebanese politics. In this thesis, I aim to explain the emergence, persistence and institutional transformation of the FPM. I refer to Political Process Theory to explain these aspects of my study. In so doing, I hope to make a valuable contribution to Lebanese social movement literature by putting forward the first such examination of the FPM. I argue that the key factor explaining these aspects of my study is the agency of FPM activists and the leadership of Michel Aoun who have impacted the emergence, persistence and institutional transformation of the FPM by actively participating in the movement's ranks. Structural factors, such as political opportunities, are quite important, but their impact on the movement is contingent upon what FPM activists and their leader make of them. Therefore, without the essential role of the movement's dedicated agency, many aspects of the FPM could not be explained as they are in this study.

This thesis is an inquiry into the challenges to the role of civic organisations in political reform during and after political transitions. The major question this research addresses is: How do institutions and institutional dynamics constrain political reform during a transition? The thesis examines how demands for reform by non-governmental organisations in Lebanon and Libya were not translated into concrete political decisions taken by regimes during a transition period. The thesis suggests that the combination of weak states and power-sharing agreements marginalizes civic organisations, and poses institutional constraints on the likelihood of reform. The thesis is based on contemporary research on events and reform trajectories in Lebanon and Libya, with a focus on the demands and strategies employed by activists during periods of transition. Lebanon between 2005 and 2010 and Libya between 2011 and 2013 underwent critical political events but subsequently did not adopt political reforms despite demands by civic organisations in two main areas: the electoral system in Lebanon and the constitutional process in Libya. A study of these two reform campaigns reveals deeply entrenched historical patterns and elements of continuity that led to path dependent outcomes during transition. By utilising theory and concepts from the perspective of historical institutionalism, the thesis identifies the factors behind path dependent outcomes in Lebanon and Libya. I argue that the transitions in Lebanon and Libya were a result of only ‘partially' critical junctures. The thesis builds on the approach of path dependence by offering insights as to how historically inherited institutional dynamics from the previous regime can cause junctures to be only ‘partially' critical for the broader political order. The main source of data comes from participant observations, interviews and focus groups with two organisations that tried to advance electoral reform and constitutional development.