People's Party (Syria)
Encyclopedia
People's Party was a Syria
n political party that was active during the 1950s and the early 1960s. The party was established in 1948 as the main opposition party to the National Party
. Both parties have their roots in the National Bloc
, a national coalition that played an important role in the Syrian struggle against the French mandate
.
, Hama
and Aleppo
) established the People's Party. The party represented northern and central Syrian business and land owning interests in favor of economic union with Iraq
. The party was backed by the Aleppine aristocracy who believed that Aleppo's traditional role as the trade center for the Fertile Crescent
could only be restored through a federation with Hashemite Iraq
. The party aimed to break the Damascene
elite's dominance over Syrian politics
. Nazim al-Kudsi
along with Rushdie Kekhya founded the party in 1948.
The People's Party also enjoyed the support of al-Atassi clan of Homs. Adnan al-Atassi, son of former president Hashim al-Atassi
, was one of the founding fathers of the party. Hashim al-Atassi never became an official member, nonetheless he supported the party through his son and his nephew Faydi al-Atassi, who ended up holding several ministerial posts including the foreign ministry at various times. Their support secured a strong base for the party in Homs.
The party enjoyed its peak of influence in the period between 1949—1951 under the military regimes of Sami al-Hinnawi
and Adib Shishakli
. After receiving a majority of the votes in the 1949 parliamentary elections
, the party clashed with Shishakli over the control of the police force. Shishakli launched a coup d'état
on November 28, 1951, and arrested leading members of the party. Shishakli arrested the party founders Nazim Kudsi and Rushdie Kekhya and placed ex-president Hashem al-Attasi under house arrest. The party was among the forces that plotted Shishakli's overthrow two years later. They regained some of their influence in the cabinet and the plurality of votes in the 1954 parliamentary elections
and ended up with the largest political party in parliament.
The party was forced to dissolve, along with all political parties in Syria, during the union years
with Egypt
. Gamal Abdul Nasser prohibited all political parties. It came back to power after Syria seceded from the union in 1961. The party's leader, Nazim al-Kudsi
, was elected president after the landslide victory in the 1961 parliamentary elections
. He served in that capacity until the March 1963 coup d'état that brought the Baath Party
to power.
In recent years there have been discussions about reviving the party in some form, following the liberalization of requirements for membership in the National Progressive Front
, but this has not materialized.
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n political party that was active during the 1950s and the early 1960s. The party was established in 1948 as the main opposition party to the National Party
National Party (Syria)
The National Party was group that led the struggle against the Ottomans in Syria after the leadership of the revolution against the French mandate in 1926 make up the National Front The National Party was group that led the struggle against the Ottomans in Syria after the leadership of the...
. Both parties have their roots in the National Bloc
National Bloc (Syria)
The National Bloc was a Syrian political party that emerged to fight for Syrian independence during the French Mandate of Syria period.The party was created after a national conference in 1928, by Ibrahim Hananu....
, a national coalition that played an important role in the Syrian struggle against the French mandate
French Mandate of Syria
Officially the French Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon was a League of Nations mandate founded after the First World War and the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire...
.
History
The National Bloc split in 1947 as a result of regional and personal rivalries between its leaders. Former members from Syria's northern cities (HomsHoms
Homs , previously known as Emesa , is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is above sea level and is located north of Damascus...
, Hama
Hama
Hama is a city on the banks of the Orontes River in west-central Syria north of Damascus. It is the provincial capital of the Hama Governorate. Hama is the fourth-largest city in Syria—behind Aleppo, Damascus, and Homs—with a population of 696,863...
and Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
) established the People's Party. The party represented northern and central Syrian business and land owning interests in favor of economic union with Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. The party was backed by the Aleppine aristocracy who believed that Aleppo's traditional role as the trade center for the Fertile Crescent
Fertile Crescent
The Fertile Crescent, nicknamed "The Cradle of Civilization" for the fact the first civilizations started there, is a crescent-shaped region containing the comparatively moist and fertile land of otherwise arid and semi-arid Western Asia. The term was first used by University of Chicago...
could only be restored through a federation with Hashemite Iraq
Kingdom of Iraq
The Kingdom of Iraq was the sovereign state of Iraq during and after the British Mandate of Mesopotamia. The League of Nations mandate started in 1920. The kingdom began in August 1921 with the coronation of Faisal bin al-Hussein bin Ali al-Hashemi as King Faisal I...
. The party aimed to break the Damascene
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
elite's dominance over Syrian politics
Politics of Syria
Politics in the Syrian Arab Republic takes place in the framework of what is officially a parliamentary republic, but what is considered an authoritarian government where the power is in the hands of the President of Syria, his family, the ruling Ba'ath Party, and the Alawi sect.The two presidents...
. Nazim al-Kudsi
Nazim al-Kudsi
Nazim al-Kudsi, also spelled "Koudsi", "al-Qudsi" or "al-Cudsi" , was a Syrian politician and head of state . He was born in and raised in Aleppo...
along with Rushdie Kekhya founded the party in 1948.
The People's Party also enjoyed the support of al-Atassi clan of Homs. Adnan al-Atassi, son of former president Hashim al-Atassi
Hashim al-Atassi
Hashim Bay Khalid al-Atassi was a Syrian nationalist, statesman and its President from 1936 to 1939, 1949 to 1951, and 1954 to 1955.- Background and early career :...
, was one of the founding fathers of the party. Hashim al-Atassi never became an official member, nonetheless he supported the party through his son and his nephew Faydi al-Atassi, who ended up holding several ministerial posts including the foreign ministry at various times. Their support secured a strong base for the party in Homs.
The party enjoyed its peak of influence in the period between 1949—1951 under the military regimes of Sami al-Hinnawi
Sami al-Hinnawi
Colonel Sami Hilmy al-Hinnawi was a Syrian politician and military man. He was born in Aleppo and had sereved in the Ottoman army before serving in the French-Syrian army during the French Mandate of Syria....
and Adib Shishakli
Adib Shishakli
Adib ibn Hasan Shishakli was a Syrian military leader and President of Syria .Born into a notable Syrian-Kurdish family of Hama, Shishakli served with the French Army during the mandate era...
. After receiving a majority of the votes in the 1949 parliamentary elections
Syrian parliamentary election, 1949
Constitutional Assembly elections were held in Syria on 16 November 1949, with a second round on 25 November. The result was a victory for the People's Party, which won 63 of the 114 seats.-Results:...
, the party clashed with Shishakli over the control of the police force. Shishakli launched a coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
on November 28, 1951, and arrested leading members of the party. Shishakli arrested the party founders Nazim Kudsi and Rushdie Kekhya and placed ex-president Hashem al-Attasi under house arrest. The party was among the forces that plotted Shishakli's overthrow two years later. They regained some of their influence in the cabinet and the plurality of votes in the 1954 parliamentary elections
Syrian parliamentary election, 1954
Parliamentary elections were held in Syria on 24 and 25 September 1954, with a second round held between 4 and 5 October. Independent candidates emerged as the largest bloc in Parliament, whilst the People's Party became the largest single party, with 30 seats. The Muslim Brotherhood did not...
and ended up with the largest political party in parliament.
The party was forced to dissolve, along with all political parties in Syria, during the union years
United Arab Republic
The United Arab Republic , often abbreviated as the U.A.R., was a sovereign union between Egypt and Syria. The union began in 1958 and existed until 1961, when Syria seceded from the union. Egypt continued to be known officially as the "United Arab Republic" until 1971. The President was Gamal...
with Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. Gamal Abdul Nasser prohibited all political parties. It came back to power after Syria seceded from the union in 1961. The party's leader, Nazim al-Kudsi
Nazim al-Kudsi
Nazim al-Kudsi, also spelled "Koudsi", "al-Qudsi" or "al-Cudsi" , was a Syrian politician and head of state . He was born in and raised in Aleppo...
, was elected president after the landslide victory in the 1961 parliamentary elections
Syrian parliamentary election, 1961
The Syrian parliamentary elections of 1961 were the first free democratic elections held in Syria after seceding from the United Arab Republic. The election was held on 1—2 December 1961.-Preparations:...
. He served in that capacity until the March 1963 coup d'état that brought the Baath Party
Baath Party
The Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party was a political party mixing Arab nationalist and Arab socialist interests, opposed to Western imperialism, and calling for the renaissance or resurrection and unification of the Arab world into a single state. Ba'ath is also spelled Ba'th or Baath and means...
to power.
In recent years there have been discussions about reviving the party in some form, following the liberalization of requirements for membership in the National Progressive Front
National Progressive Front
The National Progressive Front , established in 1972, is a coalition of political parties in Syria that support the socialist and Arab nationalist orientation of the government and accept the "leading role in society" of the Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party, .The Front was established by Syrian...
, but this has not materialized.