National Democratic Action
Encyclopedia
The National Democratic Action Society - Wa'ad is Bahrain's
largest leftist
political party. It emerged out of the Popular Front, a radical clandestine opposition movement of Maoist
, socialist and Arab nationalist orientation. Under the reform process initiated by Bahrain's King Hamad, the leaders of the Popular Front returned from exile to participate in the political process through the National Democratic Action.
The party's origins lie in the split within the Left in the Arab world in the 1960s, between a pro-Moscow camp and a pro-China camp, with the NDA's leaders backing Beijing. The party is the first licensed political group in any of the Arab States of The Gulf.
Historically the Left in Bahrain had been very strong, partly as a result of the creation of a local working class
through the Kingdom's industrialisation
with the discovery of oil in the 1930s; however the waning of Arab nationalism, the collapse of communism
as an ideology and the rise of the Islamist Right
have marginalised the NDA and robbed it of much of its traditional support. The party suffered a very disappointing result in 2002's municipal elections when none of its candidates were elected in any constituency. Despite this, the NDA's leaders are widely respected and retain a great deal of influence in Bahraini society.
The current leader of the party is Ibrahim Sharif Al-Sayed, who took over in 2005 from Abdul-Rahman Al Nuaimi. In 2005 the party renamed itself Wa'ad , which translates to "Promise". Other prominent members include: Abdul-Nabi Alekri , Ebrahim KamalAldeen , Sami Seyadi , Ali Salih and Munira Fakhro
The party boycotted 2002's parliamentary elections, but took part in the Bahraini parliamentary election of 2006; among its candidates was its Vice President and former Harvard academic, Munira Fakhro
, who contested an Isa Town constituency against Dr Salah Ali of Al-Menbar Islamic Society
.
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
largest leftist
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
political party. It emerged out of the Popular Front, a radical clandestine opposition movement of Maoist
Maoism
Maoism, also known as the Mao Zedong Thought , is claimed by Maoists as an anti-Revisionist form of Marxist communist theory, derived from the teachings of the Chinese political leader Mao Zedong . Developed during the 1950s and 1960s, it was widely applied as the political and military guiding...
, socialist and Arab nationalist orientation. Under the reform process initiated by Bahrain's King Hamad, the leaders of the Popular Front returned from exile to participate in the political process through the National Democratic Action.
The party's origins lie in the split within the Left in the Arab world in the 1960s, between a pro-Moscow camp and a pro-China camp, with the NDA's leaders backing Beijing. The party is the first licensed political group in any of the Arab States of The Gulf.
Historically the Left in Bahrain had been very strong, partly as a result of the creation of a local working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
through the Kingdom's industrialisation
Industrialisation
Industrialization is the process of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial one...
with the discovery of oil in the 1930s; however the waning of Arab nationalism, the collapse of communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
as an ideology and the rise of the Islamist Right
Al Wefaq
Al Wefaq National Islamic Society , also known as the Islamic National Accord Association, is a Bahraini political society, and the largest party in the Bahrain, both in terms of its membership and its results at the polls...
have marginalised the NDA and robbed it of much of its traditional support. The party suffered a very disappointing result in 2002's municipal elections when none of its candidates were elected in any constituency. Despite this, the NDA's leaders are widely respected and retain a great deal of influence in Bahraini society.
The current leader of the party is Ibrahim Sharif Al-Sayed, who took over in 2005 from Abdul-Rahman Al Nuaimi. In 2005 the party renamed itself Wa'ad , which translates to "Promise". Other prominent members include: Abdul-Nabi Alekri , Ebrahim KamalAldeen , Sami Seyadi , Ali Salih and Munira Fakhro
Munira Fakhro
Munira Fakhro, is a Bahraini academic and was a candidate in Bahrain's 2006 general election for the opposition Waad.Dr Fakhro is Associate Professor at the University of Bahrain, having received her Doctorate in Social Policy, Planning and Administration from Columbia University where she has...
The party boycotted 2002's parliamentary elections, but took part in the Bahraini parliamentary election of 2006; among its candidates was its Vice President and former Harvard academic, Munira Fakhro
Munira Fakhro
Munira Fakhro, is a Bahraini academic and was a candidate in Bahrain's 2006 general election for the opposition Waad.Dr Fakhro is Associate Professor at the University of Bahrain, having received her Doctorate in Social Policy, Planning and Administration from Columbia University where she has...
, who contested an Isa Town constituency against Dr Salah Ali of Al-Menbar Islamic Society
Al-Menbar Islamic Society
Al Menbar National Islamic Society is the political wing of the Al Eslah Society in Bahrain, associated with the Muslim Brotherhood. A Sunni Islamist party, it is well organised through a network of mosques and seek to promote a conservative social agenda while not directly challenging the...
.
See also
- Popular Front for the Liberation of BahrainPopular Front for the Liberation of BahrainThe Popular Front for the Liberation of Bahrain was an underground political party in Bahrain with origins in the Arab Nationalist Movement. Its members were inclined towards the leftist Marxist trend within the ANM...
- National Liberation Front - BahrainNational Liberation Front - BahrainThe National Liberation Front—Bahrain is a clandestine Marxist-Leninist party in Bahrain. It was founded on 15 February 1955, the first left party in the Arab states of the Gulf region...
- Democratic Progressive Tribune - BahrainDemocratic Progressive Tribune - BahrainProgressive Democratic Tribune is a political outfit launched by returning exiles from the underground communist National Liberation Front - Bahrain in 2002. The group won three seats in the Bahraini parliament in the 2002 elections...
- List of political parties in Bahrain
- Ibrahim SharifIbrahim SharifIbrahim Sharif al-Sayed is a Sunni Arab opposition political activist in Bahrain, currently serving as the General Secretary of the secular liberal National Democratic Action Society . He succeeded former General Secretary Abdulrahman al-Nuaimi, who fell into a coma in April 2007 and died in 2011...
- Munira FakhroMunira FakhroMunira Fakhro, is a Bahraini academic and was a candidate in Bahrain's 2006 general election for the opposition Waad.Dr Fakhro is Associate Professor at the University of Bahrain, having received her Doctorate in Social Policy, Planning and Administration from Columbia University where she has...
- Bahrain election 2006 women candidatesBahrain election 2006 women candidatesWomen candidates of the 2006 Bahrain election, which took place on the November 25, 2006 were reported to have received numerous threats from Islamic salafist and other factions to prevent them taking part...
External links
- National Democratic Action (Arabic)
- / National Democratic Action waad (facebook)
- / National Democratic Action waad (twitter)