Badawi resigns from Wafd Party’s consultative council

CAIRO – 21 May 2018: Al-Sayed Al-Badawi, former chairperson of the Wafd Party, announced his resignation from the party's consultative council on Monday, without disclosing the reasons behind his decision.

The newly elected chairperson of Wafd Party, Bahaa Eddin Abu Shoka, has ordered forming a new consultative council of the party consisting of its former chairpersons and secretary-generals, including Amr Moussa.

Abu Shoka was elected in late April as the new leader of the Wafd Party in the election held at the party’s headquarters in Cairo, in succession to Badawi.

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

The party includes high-profile members, such as Fouad Badrawi, grandson of the man who reconstituted Wafd 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.

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 Party was established in 1978.

Wafd has a powerful and coherent internal structure. The party is run by a supreme council that includes 50 members, all elected by the general assembly, and is said to be the highest decision-making body in the party.

Since its re-launch, 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 website. Additionally, Badawi is owner of Al-Hayat, one of Egypt’s top television channels.