Angered Wafd Party youth demand new leader

Youth members of the liberal Wafd Party are trying to force party chief Al-Sayed al-Badawy out on the grounds of poor performance, they declared in a news conference on Wednesday.

“We demand early party elections to elect the party’s head and its executive board. We are not satisfied with his [Badawy’s] leadership,” Mostafa al-Khayal — the party’s secretary general in Giza — told Mada Masr.

The demand represents a “rebellion” inside the party, Khayal said, with the aim of putting an end to Badawy’s governance of the group.

Khayal accused Badawy of arbitrarily sacking many Wafd members, and insisting on running internal elections via a list system, which Khayal claims Badawy was able to manipulate to put “his own men” on top.

“Badawy was keen on putting his own entourage on top of the lists so they win the elections and control the leadership of the party. We want to end this control,” he asserted.

Wafd youth members also demanded the resignation of the entire executive board. They proposed to nominate an interim board to run the party until elections take place.

“If these demands are not met, we will strike inside the party,” Khayal warned.