Party of Truth (Yemen)
Party of Truth حزب الحق | |
|---|---|
| Founder | Ahmad al-Shami |
| Founded | 1990 |
| Ideology | Zaydi Islamism Anti-Islah |
| Website | |
| Official website | |
The Party of Truth (Arabic: حزب الحق, Hizb al-Haqq) is a Zaydi Shia Islamist political party in Yemen.[1]
History
Established by Ahmad al-Shami in 1990 in order to oppose al-Islah,[2][3] the party won two seats in the House of Representatives in the 1993 elections, the first after unification.[4] The two elected representatives were Badreddin al-Houthi[5] and Abdullah al-Ruzami, both of whom would go on to assume prominent roles in the Houthi movement during the 2000s.[6]: 123–124 However, al-Houthi and al-Ruzami soon distanced themselves from the party, which they considered "elitist and co-opted by the Saleh regime".[5]
The 1997 elections saw the Party of Truth's vote share drop from 0.8% to 0.2%, and it lost both seats.[5] In 2002 it joined the opposition Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) alliance.[7] It received only 0.1% of the vote in the 2003 elections, remaining without parliamentary representation.
In March 2007, the Saleh government tried to forcibly dissolve the Party of Truth, which it believed to have connections to the Houthis. Ahmad al-Shami and other party founders unilaterally sent a letter to the "Parties Affairs Committee" in which they announced the dissolution. However, this was rejected by the party leadership. The party continued operating and installed Hassan Zaid as new leader in al-Shami's place.[6]: 228–229 It also remained a minor partner in the JMP as of 2008.[8]
In November 2009, during the sixth of the Sa'dah Wars, the Houthis chose Hassan Zaid as an intermediary to negotiate with Saleh.[6]: 321 Zaid later became the minister of youth and sports in the Houthi administration. He was shot and killed in October 2020, allegedly by a gang linked to the Saudi-led coalition.[9][10]
References
- ^ Quinn Mecham & Julie Chernov Hwang (2014) Islamist Parties and Political Normalization in the Muslim World, University of Pennsylvania Press, p. 140.
- ^ William A. Rugh (2004) Arab Mass Media: Newspapers, Radio, and Television in Arab Politics, Greenwood Publishing Group, p. 107.
- ^ Bernard Haykel (2003) Revival and Reform in Islam: The Legacy of Muhammad Al-Shawkani, Cambridge University Press, p. 227.
- ^ Elections held in 1993, Inter-Parliamentary Union.
- ^ a b c Johnston T, Lane M, Casey A, et al. (2020). "Could the Houthis Be the Next Hizballah? Iranian Proxy Development in Yemen and the Future of the Houthi Movement" (PDF). RAND Corporation. Santa Monica. p. 53-54. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
- ^ a b c Brandt, Marieke (2024). Tribes and Politics in Yemen: A History of the Houthi Conflict. London: Hurst. ISBN 9781911723424.
- ^ Who's who in Yemen's opposition? Archived March 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Al Jazeera English, 28 February 2011.
- ^ Phillips, Sarah (18 August 2008). "Yemen's Opposition Hopes to Gain in Elections by Government Mistakes". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
- ^ "Houthi official gunned down in Yemeni capital". Reuters. 27 October 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
- ^ "Yemen: Houthi minister of youth 'assassinated' in Sanaa". Middle East Eye. 27 October 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2025.