The National Assembly Party ( ar, حزب التجمع الوطني) or NAAS ()
is an
opposition
Opposition may refer to:
Arts and media
* ''Opposition'' (Altars EP), 2011 EP by Christian metalcore band Altars
* The Opposition (band), a London post-punk band
* ''The Opposition with Jordan Klepper'', a late-night television series on Comed ...
party
A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature f ...
of
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
with members mostly in exile.
Founded in September 2020 on
Saudi National Day
Saudi National Day ( ar, اليوم الوطني للمملكة العربية السعودية ''al-Yawm al-Waṭanī lil-Mamlaka al-ʿArabiyya as-Saʿūdiyya'') is celebrated in Saudi Arabia every 23rd of September to commemorate the renaming ...
, it is the first organized political
resistance founded during the rule of
King Salman
Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ( ar, سلمان بن عبد العزیز آل سعود, , ; born 31 December 1935) is King of Saudi Arabia, reigning since 2015, and served as Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia from 2015 to 2022. The 25th son of King ...
, during which, as of , political parties remained banned.
Platform
NAAS is described as a pro-
democracy
Democracy (From grc, δημοκρατία, dēmokratía, ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation (" direct democracy"), or to choose gov ...
group.
The group maintains that the country should be governed with the idea of
separation of powers
Separation of powers refers to the division of a state's government into branches, each with separate, independent powers and responsibilities, so that the powers of one branch are not in conflict with those of the other branches. The typic ...
, calling for creation of an elected
parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
and an
independent judiciary Judicial independence is the concept that the judiciary should be independent from the other branches of government. That is, courts should not be subject to improper influence from the other branches of government or from private or partisan inter ...
based on a
constitution
A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of Legal entity, entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed.
When ...
approved by the people.
According to the
Middle East Eye
Middle East Eye (MEE) is a London-based news website covering events in the Middle East and North Africa. MEE describes itself as an "independently funded online news organization that was founded in April 2014." MEE seeks to be the primary porta ...
, the group has not elaborated on its position on the fate of the current monarchy and the
House of Saud
The House of Saud ( ar, آل سُعُود, ʾĀl Suʿūd ) is the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia. It is composed of the descendants of Muhammad bin Saud, founder of the Emirate of Diriyah, known as the First Saudi state (1727–1818), and ...
in their proposed system.
The NAAS spokesperson wrote an opinion on the publication titled "a vision for a democratic Saudi Arabia free from the house of Saud".
The party criticizes Saudi Arabia's
foreign policy
A State (polity), state's foreign policy or external policy (as opposed to internal or domestic policy) is its objectives and activities in relation to its interactions with other states, unions, and other political entities, whether bilaterall ...
towards countries in the region, terming it as "aggressive".
History
The idea of the opposition party was established
through failed experiments or practices that preceded it (Islamist or Leftist), whether they were calling for political participation or separatism.
Membership
Yahya Assiri is the party's general-secretary
and
Madawi al-Rasheed serves as the spokesperson.
In addition to the two, the party's inaugural statement was signed by Ahmed Almshikhs, Saeed al-Ghamdi, Abdullah al-Ouda (son of
Salman al-Ouda
Salman bin Fahd bin Abdullah al-Ouda ( ar, سلمان بن فهد بن عبد الله العودة) or Salman al-Ouda ( ar, سلمان العودة), ''Salman al-Oadah'', ''Salman al-Audah'', or ''Salman al-Awdah'' ( ar, سلمان بن فه ...
) and Omar Al-Zahrani on behalf of the founders.
Omar Abdulaziz is also a member.
See also
*
Committee for the Defense of Legitimate Rights The Committee for the Defense of Legitimate Rights (CDLR; Arabic: لجنة الدفاع عن الحقوق الشرعية) was a Saudi dissident group created in 1993 which opposed the Saudi government as un-Islamic.
The CDLR was the first oppositi ...
, Saudi group created in 1993 that openly opposed the monarchy, based in Saudi Arabia
References
{{Saudi Arabian political parties
2020 establishments in Saudi Arabia
Political parties established in 2020
Political parties in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabian opposition groups