Egypt

Egypt

Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...

's "Liberal Experiment" took place between 1924 and 1936.

The Wafd Party

Wafd Party

The Wafd Party was a nationalist liberal political party in Egypt. It was said to be Egypt's most popular and influential political party for a period in the 1920s and 30s...

 saw independence and constitutional government linked. While the British did not agree with full independence, they certainly liked the idea of European-style constitutional government. The country's first elections for parliament were held in January 1924. Saad Zaghlul

Saad Zaghlul

Saad Zaghloul was an Egyptian revolutionary, and statesman. He served as Prime Minister of Egypt from January 26, 1924 to November 24, 1924.-Education, activism and exile:...

, the leader of the Wafd party, was elected Prime Minister of Egypt

Prime Minister of Egypt

The Prime Minister of Egypt is the head of the Egyptian government. According to the constitution, the prime minister is the leader of the largest political party in the Egyptian Parliament....

.

End of the Liberal Experiment

Egypt's only attempt to establish parliamentary institutions along European lines was short lived. Reasons suggested for the failure of the Liberal Experiment include:

1. Nature of the constitution: It awarded extensive powers to the king, including the right to appoint the prime minister and dissolve parliament, and so created a weak legislature.
2. British Interference: They continued to undermine the integrity of the parliamentary government.
3. No compromise: Neither the Wafd nor any of the smaller parties adopted the principles of compromise and respect for the opposition that are essential for the proper conduct of constitutional government.
4. Continual struggle: Politics was not focused on the nation but on the struggle between the Wafd, the monarchy, and the British.

See also

• Politics of Egypt
  Politics of Egypt
  The government of Egypt, as of February 27, 2011, is a republic currently under military rule of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces after the President of Egypt Hosni Mubarak stepped down following several days of mass protests. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the...
  
  
• Liberalism in Egypt
  Liberalism in Egypt
  Liberalism in Egypt or Egyptian liberalism is a political ideology that traces its beginnings to the 19th century.-Introduction:Egyptian self-government, education, and the continued plight of Egypt's peasant majority deteriorated most significantly under British occupation. Slowly, an organized...
  
  
• Sultanate of Egypt
  Sultanate of Egypt
  The Sultanate of Egypt is the name of the short-lived protectorate that the United Kingdom imposed over Egypt between 1914 and 1922.-History:...
  
  
• Unilateral Declaration of Egyptian Independence
  Unilateral Declaration of Egyptian Independence
  The Unilateral Declaration of Egyptian Independence was issued by the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland on 28 February 1922...