Middle East Information Resource
Political Entities - Arab Socialist Union
The Arab Socialist Union was the successor to the "National Liberation Organization," which existed between 1953 and 1958, and the "National Union", which operated between 1957 and 1962. Theseorganizations were felt to have failed.
Arab Socialist Union was the only legal political organization in Egypt from 1962 to 1976. The Arab Socialist Union was closely integrated in the constitution devised by Abdel Nasser following the breakup of the United Arab Republic in 1961. Its leadership was chosen by representatives from a heirarchy of village, township, regional, and district committees. Representatives from the district committees elected the national leadership. The Arab Socialist Union leadership nominated the single-party candidates for election to the National Assembly, as well as a single candidate for President of Egypt.
The Executive Committee was comprised of President Nasser and his Vice-Presidents and the other top leaders of government. Nasser was Secretary-General, or chairman, for a time, but for most of the Arab Socialist Union`s existence Ali Sabri was Secretary-General. After Nasser`s death in 1970, several Secretaries followed in rapid succession. The Arab Socialist Union, like its predecessors, remained part of the official establishment rather than becoming an independent popular organization. It had little influence of its own, but in the late 1960`s Ali Sabri gradually shaped it into an instrument of his own power and his leftist faction.
After Nasser`s death, the Arab Socialist Union was considered the center of "Nasserist" opposition to President Sadat. There was no clear successor to Nassar and the struggle for power unforded largely within the Arab Socialist Union. In 1971 its leadership was purged and replaced by new functionaries. In the course of Sadat`s liberalization moves, various trends and factions that had developed within the Arab Socialist Union began asserting themselves.
In 1975, and in 1976 three platforms were permitted to constitute themselves formally within the Arab Socialist Union. There was a Right-wing Liberal faction, The leftist group was headed by Khaled Muhyi al-Din. The center group, which was identified with the government and headed by the Prime Minister. In the elections for the National Assembly in October 1976, candidates were presented by the three platforms within the Arab Socialist Union. The center won an overwhelming majority. The Rightist-Liberals won twelve seats, but several members immediately deserted the Liberals to join the center. The Left won two seats.
Late in 1976, real political parties were permitted, and a law regulating political parties was passed in June 1977. The Arab Socialist Union had lost its monopoly on political power in Egypt. Its Right wing became the "Social Liberal Party;" its Left wing became the "Progressive-Unionist Rally." In 1978, President Sadat established his own "National Democratic Party." The mainstream faction of the Arab Socialist Union began to call itself the "Egypt Party." The Arab Socialist Union was formally dissolved in May 1980.