Party Politics In Egypt Under The Constitutional Monarchy

Egypt, as one of the greatest ancient civilizations, ranks high among thecountries of the world for its age-old tradition, the roles it has played in history, andits strategic location. Egypt is also the first Arabic country which engages in andemulates the western industrial civilization and then initiates the process ofmodernization. The history of Egypt from1923to1952under constitutionalmonarchy is a critical stage during which Egypt is transforming from a colonial stateto an independent one, and modern political system comes into being, and duringwhich violent conflict and flux happened between the tradition and modernity, elitesand mass, secularity and religion in Egypt society. In the same period, party politics isthe outstanding character of constitutional life in Egypt.The rise of modern party in Egypt is the outcome of the political, economic,cultural and social development after the startup of modernization in MuhammadAli’s Dynasty from1805. Attainment of national independence and constitutionalgovernment was the historical calling of these parties. Egyptian constitutionalmonarchy origins from the1919Revolution made by nationalist parties and theirmass supporters, whose institutional basis is the1922Declaration of Great Briton and1923Constitution of Egypt. The incompleteness of independence brought a deepcolor of nationalism to the party politics in the constitutional monarchy period.Generally speaking, parliamentary parties, especially the Wafd Party made agreat advance in the cause of Egyptian independence, which couldn’t beaccomplished just by one drastic revolution in a country dominated by a imperialistpower like Egypt which had a small military force, single-product economy, gravemisbalance of social structure, political power monopolized by landowner stratum,and non-integrated national identity. Peaceful and legal negotiation of theparliamentary parties was an important road to independence and the1936Treaty wasa vital stage for Egypt’s complete independence.The constitutionalism practice and competition of power between King andparties or among parties in Egypt under constitutional monarchy created an opportunity for public political participation and a more liberal space for the rise ofmass political movements which involved the Egyptian public in various strata intomovement of independence and overthrow of the constitutional monarchy throughvaried ideologies and programs. The new mass political organizations exhaustedimmensely the energy of the imperialist, the palace and the elite parliamentary parties,and paved the way for military coup.The Free Officers Movement led by Nasser succeeded and developed thenational cause devoted by the Wafd Party, by which the1952Revolution arrived andoverturned the constitutional monarchy and accomplished the task of independenceand anti-feudal. The reform policies carried out by the Free officers when they werein power reflected the socio-economic and political demands of mass movements,and in this sense, the1952revolution is a result of the development of party politicsin Egypt under constitutional monarchy.