Ex-Wafd party leader slams current head's 'hostility' towards him

CAIRO - 8 August 2019: Al-Sayed Al-Badawy, former head of New Al-Wafd Party, said he cannot explain current leader of the party,Bahaa Abu Shoka's hostility towards him.

Earlier in August,Abu Shoka ordered dropping the membership of Badawy from the nationalist liberal party, over alleged misconduct.

In a press conference on Wednesday,Badawy said that the accusations of squandering public money, which Abu Shoka had made against him, are false, noting that the Administrative Control Authority had investigated and refuted these charges.

Badawy said that this hostility from the party leader needs a psychological explanation as it cannot be politically explained.

New Wafd Party headed by Bahaa Abu Shoka announced earlier dropping the membership of Badawy, who served as president of the party from 2010 to 2018, over losing the "good reputation" membership condition.

Sources said the party decided to remove Badawy's name from all its records, as he failed to settle his disputes with a number of companies within a certain time limit, after he had been handed final imprisonment sentences, according to a memorandum submitted by Fouad al-Badrawi, the party's general secretary.

"The decision deprives Al-Sayed Al-Badawy from running again to head the Wafd Party, as dropping his membership was based on the loss of one of the conditions of membership, which is good reputation and conduct, which was denied [due to] the issuance of criminal provisions against him."

In May 2018, Badawy announced his resignation from the party's consultative council, without disclosing the reasons behind his decision. He affirmed later that his resignation from the council does not include leaving the party.

In December, he announced freezing his activity inside the party, only a week after Abu Shoka, who took office in April 2018 as the new leader of the party ordered referring Badawy to investigation over disseminating rumors against the party.

Badawy joined the party in 1983 and froze his activity in late 2019. He became secretary general of the party in 2000, was elected as the party’s leader in 2010 and was re-elected in 2014.

The New Wafd is believed to be Egypt’s oldest national liberal party and always played a significant role in the Egyptian political scene. It is linked to the original Wafd Party 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.