New Wafd Party

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New Wafd Party
Party Motto "Rights are above Force, the people are above the government"
Chairman Mahmoud Abaza
Founded February 8, 1983
Headquarters Giza
Political Ideology Liberal Democracy
Papers AlWafd - Daily
Website [1]
See also Politics of Egypt

Political parties in Egypt
Elections in Egypt

The New Wafd Party ("New Delegation Party"; Arabic: Hizb al-Wafd al-Jadid حزب الوفد الجديد) is a nationalist liberal party in Egypt. It is considered to be one of the main opposition parties, and so its involvement in Egyptian politics is considered crucial in the success as well as legitimization of any political decision.
It is the extension of one of the oldest and historically most active political parties in Egypt, Wafd Party, which was dismantled after the 1952 Revolution. The New Wafd was re-established in 1983. It follows almost the exact party-line of the former aristocratic party during Egypt's liberal experiment in the 1920s.

In the last legislative elections in November and December 2005, the party won 6 out of 454 seats in the People's Assembly.[1]

Mahmoud Abaza is the party chairman who succeeded Numan Gumaa which was presidential Wafd candidate. He received 2.9% of the total votes.[2]

Contents

[edit] Goals

The party presses for introducing political, economic and social reforms, promoting democracy, ensuring the basic freedoms and human rights and maintaining the national unity.
The party also calls for abolishing the emergency law, solving the unemployment and housing problems, upgrading the health services and developing the education system.

[edit] Party Platform

The party platform calls for:[3]

  • Democracy based on the multi-party system.
  • Respect for human rights and public freedom
  • Islamic Sharia as a source of legislation.
  • Pioneering Arab, African and Islamic role of Egypt.
  • Promoting ties with the Arab and Islamic countries.
  • Developing the Egyptian-African relations.
  • Independence of the Judiciary.
  • Abolishing the emergency laws.
  • Solving the Palestinian cause.
  • Enhancing the role of the private sector.
  • Developing the public sector.
  • Developing the production sector.
  • Solving the housing problem.
  • Developing the education system.

[edit] Recent Turmoil

The party currently appears to be in crisis following the parliamentary elections. Early in December 2005, party chairman Numan Gumaa dismissed prominent party leader and vice chairman Monir Fakhri Abdel Nour following the poor performance the party showed during the elections.

Abdel Nour was also the leader of the opposition bloc in the outgoing parliament before losing his seat in the first stage of elections. Abdel Nour told the media before his dismissal, that the only way the party could improve would be by "changing its leadership". He also continued that there was much support within the party for such a change.
According to party sources, the Wafd Party split into to camps after Gomaa's poor showing in the presidential elections, with one group demanding that Gomaa leave his post as chairman. That demand became even more pronounced after the party also did poorly in the parliamentary elections.

Later in December 2005, the party's higher political board reverted Gumaa's decisions on firing Abdel Nour as well as other members. The higher board also elections for its membership and amended its internal by-laws and rules, especially those that give the party's chairman vast authorities in an aim to trim the chairman's political powers, all of which Gumaa has agreed to support.
On January 18, 2006 the supreme committee for the party ousted its chairman Numan Gomaa from the party and from the presidency of the board of al-Wafd newspaper. The committee attributed its decision to Gomaa's tyrannical behaviour and abuse of authority.

It also appointed his deputy Mahmoud Abaza as an interim Chairman for a period of 60 days after which the General Assembly of the party would be invited for an emergency meeting to choose a new chairman.[4]

However, Gomaa contended that this decision contradicted to the party's statute and that he was the legitimate chairman who can be dismissed only by a decision of the party's General Assembly. He responded by filing a complaint to Egypt's Prosecutor General who ruled that Gomaa should be allowed access to party's headquarters. Abaza filed an urgent lawsuit asking that the Prosecutor General’s ruling be overturned.[5]

The party's newspaper was suspended for 13 days (from January 27th till February 8th, 2006) after Gomaa asked Al Ahram publishing house to stop printing the paper and fired its editor and some journalists, complaining of their allegiance to Abaza’s group.[6]

On February 10, 2006 the party's General Assembly agreed to dismiss Gomaa from Wafd presidency and appointed Mustafa al- Taweel (a member of al-Wafd supreme committee) as an interim president till the next elections on July 2006. Gomaa argued the decision was due to an earlier ruling by Giza's court of first instance to stop the General Assembly meeting.

On April 1, Gumaa and his supporters occupied the party's headquarters to reclaim control and opened fire on supporters of the rival faction who responded by throwing stones. Twenty three people were injured and fire broke out in the building but was brought under control. Egyptian authorities arrested Gumaa and some of his supporters.[7]

[edit] Prominent party figures

  • Numan Gumaa - Current chairman and 2005 presidential candidate.
  • Monir Fakhri Abdel Nour - Long time serving Coptic Parliament member, politician and former Party Vice Chairman.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Egypt Update - European Forum
  2. ^ "Mubarak declared winner in Egypt poll", Al jazeera, 2005-09-09. 
  3. ^ http://www.sis.gov.eg/En/Politics/Parties/Parties/041102000000000002.htm The Wafd Party from Egypt State information service
  4. ^ http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/060119/2006011901.html Egyptian al-Wafd party removes chairman Nuuman Jumaa.
  5. ^ http://www.egypttoday.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=6348 Kicked out.
  6. ^ http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2006/January/middleeast_January870.xml&section=middleeast&col= Egypt opposition newspaper stops publishing amid leadership row.
  7. ^ http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=4365 Political Clashes in Egypt Injure 23

[edit] External links


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