Syrian Communist Party
Syrian Communist Party الحزب الشيوعي السوري | |
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| Founder | Khalid Bakdash |
| Founded | 1964 (as independent entity) |
| Dissolved | 1986 |
| Preceded by | Syrian–Lebanese Communist Party |
| Succeeded by | Split into two factions: the Syrian Communist Party (Unified) and the Syrian Communist Party (Bakdash) |
| Ideology | Communism Marxism–Leninism |
| Political position | Far-left |
| National affiliation | National Progressive Front |
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The Syrian Communist Party (
It became a member of the National Progressive Front in 1972. The party split in two in 1986 with two separate parties claiming to represent the original Syrian Communist Party; the Syrian Communist Party (Unified) and the Syrian Communist Party (Bakdash).
Beginnings
The party evolved out of the
Bakdash's leadership and organisational growth
The party was involved in opposition to the
In 1954, after a series of military dictatorships that had lasted since 1949, Syria became a democracy, and in the elections held that year, Khalid Bakdash won a seat in parliament for the Damascus area, becoming the first communist elected to an Arab parliament.
Suppression under Nasser and the Ba'ath, 1958–1970
The United Arab Republic (UAR) was formed in February 1958. Toward the end of 1958, a campaign of repression against the party began. Nasser was provoked to action by a harshly critical statement made by Bakdash, who called for transformation of the UAR into a loose federation. Communists were imprisoned and in some cases killed.[4]
The union ended in 1961 when a
Legal operation in the National Progressive Front from 1972
In 1970,
Faced with the choice between accepting these restrictions and the prospect of illegal operation, Bakdash and the majority of the party chose to join the Front. The more radical elements in the party were unhappy about participation in the Front. However, the breaking point did not come until 1976 and the Syrian intervention in the
The 1980s: repression and split
During the early 1980s, the Syrian government clamped down on political activity and the Communist Party was subject to severe restrictions, despite its participation in the NPF. It was prevented from publishing its newspapers Nidhal ash-Sha'b ("the People's Struggle") and an-Nour ("the Light"), and its activities were closely monitored by the security services. It effectively operated underground throughout most of the 1980s, with membership lists a closely guarded secret. In 1986, the anti-communist crackdown ended and the ban on the communist party was lifted by Assad as a concession to the Soviets.[6]
In 1986, Bakdash and deputy secretary Yusuf Faisal differed over the policies of perestroika and glasnost adopted by Soviet Communist Party general secretary Mikhail Gorbachev. Faisal was supportive of Gorbachev's reforms, while Bakdash was opposed. This led to another split in the party, with many of the party's intellectuals leaving with Faisal to the Syrian Communist Party (Unified) while much of its Kurdish base remained supportive of Bakdash in the Syrian Communist Party (Bakdash). Both factions continued to participate in the NPF. [7]
Eventually, in 2000 the SCP suffered another rift that led to the formation of the People's Will Party, led by Qadri Jamil to unify the communists inside Syria. [8]
Timeline
- 1924 Communist Party of Syria and Lebanon formed
- 1954 Khalid Bakdash is the first communist to be elected to an Arab parliament.
- 1976 "Political Bureau" group splits and forms separate party Syrian Communist Party (Political Bureau)
- 1986 Split between Bakdash and Faisal into Syrian Communist Party (Bakdash) and Syrian Communist Party (Unified)
- 2000 Qadri Jamil split and formed the People's Will Party
References
- ^ Velasco Muñoz (2019), p. 109.
- ^ "Khalid Bakdash". Britannica. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
- ^ "Khalid Bakdash elected to Syrian parliament". Time. 11 October 1954. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
- ^ "United Arab Republic (U.A.R.)". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 2012-08-14. Retrieved 2012-08-24.
- ^ Velasco Muñoz (2019), pp. 118–120.
- ISBN 1-4191-5022-7. Retrieved 2011-05-12.
- ^ "Guide to Syrian Political Parties". Retrieved 28 March 2023.
- ^ Velasco Muñoz (2019), p. 123.
Sources
- Velasco Muñoz, Rosa (2019). "The Syrian Communist Party". In: Communist Parties in the Middle East: 100 Years of History. Oxford: Routledge. pp. 109–128. ISBN 9780367134457.
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