Wafd Party in limbo amid internal split rumors

CAIRO – 2 March 2018: Since the Head of Wafd Party Al-Sayed Al-Badawi was named by his party to run in the upcoming 2018 presidential election – before he announced his withdrawal – Wafd was brought to focus, raising controversy about the party’s internal situation.

Al-Badawi issued a statement on Thursday denying that he received any signatures from the party’s members calling for dissolving the Supreme Committee or changing its formation.

He said that he was handed 517 signatures demanding an urgent meeting of the party’s general assembly to discuss amendments to the party’s bylaws and they did not include any hints for dissolving the party’s Supreme Committee.

Al-Badawi pointed out that he can not ignore these signatures because they came in accordance to the part’s bylaws, and neglecting any articles of the bylaws will create a dispute among Wafd’s members.

“With a sincere intention, I agreed to postpone the amendments to the party’s bylaws until the completion of discussing its all articles, of which 33 articles have been completed,” Al-Badawi said.

Wafd’s leader has already called for a meeting of the party’s general assembly on 30 March to discuss amendments to the party’s bylaws and select a new head before Al-Badawi’s second four-year term in office ends in June. The move, which Al-Badawi announced on 21 February, is opposed by many party leaders.

"The only way to maintain the Wafd’s coherence at this stage is to call for the election of a new leader and also to amend the party’s bylaws to stop attempts of polarization by candidates and their supporters, which always happen in any elections," Al-Badawi said.

Possible candidates for the chairman’s seat include Wafd Party secretary-general and head of its parliamentary bloc Bahaaeddin Abu Shoka, deputy chairman Hossam Al-Kholi, Supreme Committee member Hani Sarieddin and head of the party’s Media Committee Yasser Hassan.

Al-Badawi has also decreed that a seven-member committee, assigned with supervising the whole electoral process, be formed.

The party has been divided over the issue since amending the bylaw was first suggested in November.

The amendments being proposed would see the secretary-general, deputy chairman and treasurer elected by the general assembly rather than the Supreme Committee and reduce the number of Supreme Committee members appointed by the party chairman from 10 to five.

A look into Wafd Party

Wafd is believed to be Egypt’s oldest national liberal party and always played a significant role in the Egyptian political scene. It is sometimes called “the New Wafd Party” because it is the extension of the original one which was dismantled after the 1952 Revolution. The New Wafd was established in 1978.

Wafd’s history dates back to the beginning of party life under the monarchy, making it the oldest among existing Egyptian political parties.

Saad Zaghloul, an Egyptian revolutionary and statesman, transformed the popular delegation to the post-World War I Paris Peace Conferencein into a political party carrying the name Wafd (The Delegation). Shortly thereafter, King Fuad I declared Egypt a constitutional monarchy and issued a new constitution that paved the way for forming Egypt’s first elected parliament after British recognition of the country’s independence. Wafd Party won the majority of the seats in Egypt’s first parliament in 1924, and Zaghloul became Egypt’s first prime minister under the new Constitution.

After the 1952 Revolution, Wafd was dissolved along with all other political parties, until 1978 when President Anwar Sadat allowed the formation of political parties. Al-Wafd was resurrected under the name of the “New Wafd Party”, now known simply as Wafd.

Known for its national and liberal principles, Wafd always called for democracy, freedom of speech, and independence of the judiciary. It was one of the first political movements that demanded and applied equality between Muslims and Copts. One of Zaghloul’s famous quotes reflected that principle, “religion is for God and the nation is for all,” which contemporary defenders of national unity in Egypt still invoke.

Party Structure

Wafd has a powerful and coherent internal structure. The party is run by a Supreme Council which includes fifty members, all elected by the General Assembly, and is said to be the highest decision making body in the party.

Since its relaunch, Wafd has emerged as an influential player in the political arena. The party has the largest network of branches and representatives, covering major cities in all Egyptian governorates.

Wafd has a large membership base, consisting of various social segments notably a number of political and cultural figures making the party stand out as one of the few established parties that truly represent the Egyptian street. The party also enjoys a very strong presence in the media, thanks to its famous daily newspaper and Internet portal. Additionally, Wafd’s leader Al-Badawi is owner of Al-Hayat, one of Egypt’s top television channels.

Leadership

Al-Badawi first joined Al-Wafd in 1983 and became secretary general of the party in 2000. He was elected as the party’s leader since 2010 and was reelected in 2014.

In May 2015, the party was hit by strife sparking a feud between rival factions. By the end of the month, new elections were held; Badawi remained and his supporters won most of the new spots on the council.

Other ranking members of the party include: Fuad Badrawi, the grandson of the man who reconstituted Wafd back in the 1970s; Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour, former minister of industry, trade, and investment; and Ahmed Al-Arab, Safir Nour, Ahmed Auda, and Noaman Gomaa, all of whom have served in party leadership.