Al-Wafd Party Crisis & Solution!, Op,ed

Al- Wafd Party, one of the old established political parties, is experiencing a deep crisis these days. we are following up this crisis via newspapers, satellite channels, and social media networks. The crisis lies in the party’s candidates on the national list, as the nominating papers of the new members should be submitted to the new parliament. There are conflicting positions on participation or withdrawal from the national list "for the sake of Egypt" following disagreements over the quota allocated to party members in the list!

"For the sake of Egypt" national list includes 12 parties, they are: (the Future of Homeland Party, the Homeland Protectors Party, Al Tagamoa National Progressive Unionist Party, A Generation's Will party, the Egyptian Freedom and Justice Party, Conference Party, the Modern Egypt Party, the Egyptian Democratic Party, the Republican People's Party, in addition to the Coordination of Parties Youth and Politicians. At the top of these parties is Al-Wafd Party, one of the oldest parties in the political arena, but it announced withdrawal following the outbreak of its crisis.

I followed up the invitation of Counselor Bahaa El Din Abu Shaqqa, the president of the party, to the High Commission, to discuss his decision to invite Al Wafd commission to a session. This session aimed at holding early leadership election, while assigning MP Fouad Badrawi, Fouad Badrawi, the party’s secretary general, to chair this session.

I wish the old party would return to be a strong one as usual, as it is one of the oldest parties in Egypt. The call for leadership election is an important step from its current president, Mr. Bahaa El-Din Abu Shaqqa. This call expresses confidence in the base and principles of the party and the deep desire to enter the race for parliamentary elections with a unified front, as even if visions differ, there is a space for democracy, established by its founders following 1919 revolution.

It is the revolution that embodied the participation of all spectrums of the Egyptian people, it raised the slogan “Long live the Cross and the Crescent, Long Live Egypt,” which has become the slogan of Egyptian nationalism until today.

Al-Wafd party has experienced many setbacks, wars and conspiracies, on top of them was the issue of Nile water when Saad was forced to resign in 1924 due to deducting part of Egypt's share of the Nile water to irrigate British cotton farms in Al Jezirah region in Sudan. the leaders of the party, Saad Zaghloul, Mustafa Al-Nahhas, Makram Ebeid, and others, defended the interests of the homeland and had patriotic positions.

We couldn’t forget Fouad Serageldin, who led the nation’s struggle in the police battle against the occupation on January 25, 1951 in Ismailia, when he was the Minister of Interior. In this battle the Egyptian police, representing the will of the people, fought against the British colonialist, forcing  the commander of the British forces to salute the Egyptian police, so we celebrate the Police Day every year in honor of this battle.

We also can't forget the great role of Dr. Wahid Raafat in the Taba Liberation Committee, which ended up with the recovery of this precious spot of the homeland!

We hope that Al-Wafd Party will continue to play its ancient role in serving the Egyptian state and the national interest, adding pages of pride and glory, while its fans chanting, "Long live Al-Wafd, the leader of the nation" under the dome of the June 30 parliament.