The Syrian Communist party (Arab: الحزبالشيوعيالسوري Al-hizb ash-shuyū' ī have-sūrī) is the name of a political party Syria N founded in 1944. After a scission in 1986 the name is used today by two different parties. The party is member of the communist movement world and historically held an political orientation, prosovietic. The party became member of the National front progressist (FNP) starting from 1972, the FNP provides a legal framework to the parties supporting the policy nationalist Arabic and socialist of the Syrian government, while accepting the control of the State by the Parti Baath.

Beginnings of the party

The party developed Communist party of Syria and Lebanon, established in 1924 and prohibits shortly after by the authorities agents. In 1936, Khalid Bakdash, a Damas cene which has to adhere to the party in 1930 became the general secretary of the party.

The party opposed the Régime of Vichy, and when the free French Forces took the control of the country, the party was legalized. From 1944, the Syrian political parties and Lebanon board separated. Bakdash wanted to present its party like an essential component of the Syrian national movement against the French presence in Syria. Contrary to the other communist political parties, the Communist party Syrian with open its rows to all the Syrians, the party had a moderate program what him with license to carry out a broad recruitment. The party received broad supports Working class, Kurdish, Greek-orthodoxe Christian mediums and intellectuals of left.

In 1954, after a military series of dictatorship which had followed one another since 1949, Syria becomes a democracy and elections take place. Thus Khalid Bakdash becomes appointed for the governorship of Damas, becoming the first Communist to be elected in an Arab Parliament. The party was shared on the project of union between Syria and the Egypt of Gamal Abdel Nasser. In Egypt, Nasser had prohibited the Egyptian Communist party and a certain number of left-wing political party. Much militant of left was imprisoned, but the desire of union between Syria and Egypt was such, that the Syrian Communist party could not be opposed to the policy to carry out by Nasser and the union of the two countries.

Nasser and Baath, 1958-1970

The United Arab Republic is formed in 1958, after the union of Syria and Egypt. After criticisms of Bakdash against Nasser, denouncing what it called a " federation of loser " , Nasser launches a repression campaign against the members of the parties, the majority are imprisoned and others killed.

Finally the union is a failure, and after the Coup d'etat in Syria of the soldier Haydar Al-Kouzbari, Syria makes secession and leaves the federation. The Communist party, being identified like a party secessionist by the Syrians, it suffered from a popular loss of support and support of a broad part of the Syrians. In 1963, when the party Baath and nasserists arrived at the capacity, the party was repressed again.

Legal opposition in 1972

In 1970, following a military coup d'etat against the government of Salah Jedid, Hafez el-Assad seizes the power. He announces to want to set up in Syria a political pluralism limited in a context of People's democracy. This will with taken the form in 1972 of the National front progressist. Only the parties members of the Face can take part in the Syrian political life, to join the Face, the Syrian parties have to accept the Arab nationalist policy and Socialist of the government.

In spite of the many restrictions which would await the party if it agreed to join the FNP, the militants of the party decide for the union. The most radical elements of the party were in total disagreement with this decision. But in 1976, at the time of the Lebanese civil war, when the Syrian army supports the forces of extreme-right-hand side Maronite against the left forces of PLO, the radicals carried out by Riyadh Al-Turk lead them to the opposition. Al-Turk names its party, the Syrian Communist party (political office) or Syrian Communist party (Riyadh Al-Turk).

1980, repression and scission

In spite of its participation to the FNP, the Syrian government had restricted the political activity of the Communist party. The government prevented it from publishing its various newspapers like Nidhal ash-Sha' B or Year-Nour . The party becomes clandestine then, and in spite of the presence of the security services, the party continues its activities while holding of the files of adhesion with the party which was secret.

In 1986, Bakdash and the deputy Youssouf Fayçal had a dissension on the policy followed by Gorbatchev and the Russian Communist party. Fayçal supported the reforms undertaken by Gorbatchev, whereas Bakdash was opposed to it. What led to another scission within the party, the intellectuals join Fayçal while Kurdish militant base continued to support Bakdash. The two factions continued to use the name of " Syrian Communist party " and maintained their participation in the FNP.

The party today

Khalid Bakdash died in 1995, and it is his wife, Wisal Farha Bakdash which took the head of the party. Towards the end of the presidency of Hafez el-Assad, the country is some liberalized little, the party thus could take again the edition of its two newspapers. At the time of the Spring of Damas in 2000, the party played a big role.

The two parties pursue a similar policy today, they criticize hard the policy of the the United States to the the Middle East and supports the foreign politics followed by their government. In same time, they asked the installation of reform democratic and strongly criticized management by the government of the fight against corruption, and the liberal economic policy, installation by the government these last years.

External bond

• Official site

• Year-nour