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Arab Liberal Leaders Study Party Organization in Germany

A delegation of leaders of member parties and observers of the Network of Arab Liberals (NAL) is visited Germany for a study tour titled "The Organization of Modern Political Parties". Sponsored by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty (FNF) the main objective of the one-week program has been to introduce to the Arab party leaders the internal organizational structures and procedures of a modern European liberal Party – the Free Democratic Party of Germany or FDP. A further objective was to discuss all issues related to electoral politics and strategies and campaigning.

The Arab delegation was headed by Mr. Mohamed Tamaldou, the President of the Network of Arab Liberals (NAL) and main regional partner of the Foundation in the Arab world.

Picture : PSL President Monder Thabet, Liberal El Ghad Party Secretary General Sayed Bassiouny and FNF Regional Director Dr. Ronald Meinardus
Delegates pose at the Deutsche Bundestag

From Egypt, Dr. Osama Ghazali Harb, Member of the Shoura Council and President of the Democratic Front Party joined the group as did Mr. Wael Nawara, Vice President of the liberal Al Ghad Party.

While in Berlin, the delegation visited FNF’s headquarters for talks with Mr. Manfred Richter, member of the Board of Directors, who is also a successful campaign manager. The delegates spent many hours in sessions with senior members of the FDP, discussing among others internal statutes and party organization, fundraising and campaign financing and membership mobilization. The group also participated in a session of the foreign policy committee of the Free Democratic Party’s parliamentary group in the Bundestag, the federal German parliament. There, the Arab politicians were given the floor to share with the German parliamentarians some of their major political concerns.

picture:Ayman Nour among the many attendees
Discussing strategies at FDP National Headquarters

One important objective of the program was to give the Arab guests a first-hand impression of the highly decentralized political system of the Federal Republic of Germany. This decentralization is also reflected in the organizational structure of the major political parties, which have more or less self-governing units on the municipal, the regional and the national levels. The group travelled to the regional capital of Düsseldorf for talks with regional and municipal party leaders. This being election time in the federal state of North Rhine Westfalia, the group witnessed the final days of the electoral campaign and also visited a polling station on election day.

"The visit was successful beyond measure. It helped the Arab leaders see and learn from the German experience in democracy", said NAL-President Mohamed Tamaldou in a statement at the end of the visit. Regional Director Dr. Ronald Meinardus highlighted another point: "This one-week tour has also strengthened the bonds of friendship between senior leaders of the Arab Network and the Foundation and this personal dimension is crucial for our work."

On the sidelines of the visiting program, the Arabic Program of Radio Deutsche Welle hosted a panel discussion with members of the delegation on liberalism in the Arab world. You may listen to the 30-minute-program here.

Picture : PSL President Monder Thabet, Liberal El Ghad Party Secretary General Sayed Bassiouny and FNF Regional Director Dr. Ronald Meinardus
Observing the elections at a polling station
 
Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty in Egypt : www.fnst-egypt.org