Liberal Constitutional Party (Egypt)
Liberal Constitutional Party حزب الاحرار الدستوريين | |
|---|---|
| Secretary-General | Muhammad Ali Alluba |
| Historical leader | Adli Yakan Pasha (1922–1924) Abdel Aziz Fahmy (1924–1926) Muhammad Mahmoud Pasha (1926–1941) Abdel Aziz Fahmy (1941–1942) Mohammed Hussein Heikal (1943–1952) |
| Founded | 30 October 1922 |
| Dissolved | 17 January 1953 |
| Split from | Wafd Party |
| Headquarters | Cairo |
| Newspaper | Al Siyasa |
| Ideology | Constitutional monarchy Liberal democracy Social liberalism |
| Political position | Centre-right |
| Colours | Violet |
The Liberal Constitutional Party (Arabic: حزب الاحرار الدستوريين, Ḥizb al-aḥrār al-dustūriyyīn) was an Egyptian political party founded in 1922 by a group of politicians who left the larger Wafd Party. While both the Wafd and the Liberal Constitutionalists agreed on Egyptian independence, the latter believed in gradualism and was against violence.[1] The party represented the liberal upper class of Egypt, typically landowners.[2][3] It was banned, like the other political parties in Egypt, after the coup d'état of 1952.
History
During the 1919 Egyptian revolution, a delegation of Egyptian nationaists led by Saad Zaghloul demanded independence from British control, as Egypt had been a protectorate since the World War I. This delegation (Arabic: Wafd) later became the Wafd party. During the years of negotiations between British officials and Egyptian nationalists, Adly Yakan emerged as a moderate voice compared to Zaghloul. Adly's delegation was supported by Lufti al-Sayyid, Abdel Aziz Fahmy and Muhamad Mahmoud.[4] On 16 March 1921, Adly was appointed by the sultan to form a cabinet as prime minister and lead the negotiations. The Unilateral Declaration of Egyptian Independence was declared on 28 February 1922.
The Liberal Constitutional Party was founded on 30 October 1922 during a meeting at the Shepheard's Hotel chaired by Adli Yakan Pasha, and some time later the party launched a newspaper, Al Siyasa (Politics).[5] Adly was elected leader, Muhamad Mahmoud one of his vice presidents. The initial 300 supporters made up a general assembly who elected an administrative board of twenty-six.[6][a] According to the party statute, the board was to be elected by the assembly every three years, who then elected a president, two vice-presidents a secretary and treasurer.[8]
Although the Wafd Party was nationalist and conservative views, the new party supported the constitution which was approved on 19 April 1923, the secularization of the State, the United Kingdom and also the total unification of Egypt and Sudan. Muhammad Alluba, a supporter of the Palestine cause, served as the general secretary of the party in the 1930s.
Leaders
- 1922-1924 – Adli Yakan Pasha
- 1924-1926 – Abdel Aziz Fahmy[9]
- 1926-1941 – Muhammad Mahmoud Pasha[10]
- 1941-1942 – Abdel Aziz Fahmy
- 1943-1952 – Mohammed Hussein Heikal[b]
Electoral history
Chamber of Deputies elections
| Election | Party leader | Seats | +/– | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1923–1924 | Adly Yakan Pasha | 20 / 211 |
 20 |
2nd |
| 1925 | 40 / 211 |
20 |
 2nd | |
| 1926 | 29 / 211 |
 11 |
2nd | |
| 1929 | Muhammad Mahmoud Pasha | 5 / 232 |
24 |
2nd |
| 1931 | 0 / 150 |
5 |
Boycotted | |
| 1936 | 15 / 232 |
15 |
2nd | |
| 1938 | 77 / 264 |
62 |
2nd | |
| 1942 | Abdel Aziz Fahmy | 4 / 264 |
73 |
2nd |
| 1945 | Mohammed Hussein Heikal | 75 / 264 |
71 |
2nd |
| 1950 | 28 / 319 |
47 |
3rd |
Notes
References
- ↑ Zayid 1968, p. 346.
- ↑ Landau 1949, p. 322.
- ↑ Deeb 1979, p. 80Thus, the brief examination of the social basis, organization and ideology of the Liberal Constitutional Party clearly indicate that it was first and foremost a party of large landowners.
- ↑ Zayid 1968, pp. 343–344.
- ↑ Landau 1949, pp. 314–315.
- ↑ Zayid 1968, pp. 345–346.
- ↑ Deeb 1979, p. 299.
- ↑ Landau 1949, p. 315.
- ↑ al-Sayyid-Marsot 1977, p. 66"In 1924, he resigned and the party leaders induced Abd al-Aziz Fahmi, who was not even a party member, to take over the position, which he did with reluctance, for he was a hypochondriac and at the time believed himself to be ill."
- ↑ al-Sayyid-Marsot 1977, p. 112"In time he became one of the pillars of the Liberal Constitutionalist party, and when Abd al-Aziz Fahmi resigned as leader of that party in 1926 Muhammad Mahmud became vice-president and acting leader. After Nahhas was dismissed from office in 1928, he was chosen to lead a new cabinet and became president of the party."
- ↑ Smith, Charles D. (1983). Islam and the Search for Social Order in Modern Egypt : A Biography of Muhammad Husayn Haykal. State University of New York Press. pp. 161–162.
Further reading
- al-Sayyid-Marsot, Afaf Lutfi (1977). Egypt’s Liberal Experiment: 1922-1936. University of California Press.
- Bikhazi, Ramzi Jibran (1968). The Liberal Constitutional Party of Egypt, 1922-1936 (Thesis). American University of Beirut .
- Deeb, Marius (1979). Party Politics in Egypt: the Wafd & its rivals 1919–1939. Ithaca Press : London: The Middle East Centre St Antony’s College Oxford. ISBN 9780903729406.
- El-Shalak, Ahmed Zakaria (1982). حزب الأحرار الدستوريين [Constitutional Liberal Party: 1922 -1953] (in Arabic). Dar Shorouq.
- Landau, Jacob (June 1949). "Minor Parties in the Post-War Years". Parliamentary institutions and political parties in Egypt, 1866-1924 (Thesis). SOAS University of London. pp. 314–322. doi:10.25501/SOAS.00029089.
- Zayid, Mahmud (1968). "The Origins of the Liberal Constitutionalist Party in Egypt". In Holt, P. M. (ed.). Political and Social Change in Egypt in Modern Egypt. Oxford University Press.
