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Ahmed Salah Kamel
Ahmed Salah Kamel in 1979
4th & 7th President of Amjedia |
17 November 1972-17 November 1979
Prime Minister:
Hakim Abdullatif
Ali Fateeh
Preceded by: Sami Hassani
Succeeded by: Ahmed Kefi
24 June 1992-31 October 1994
Prime Minister: Wahid Hattab
Preceded by: Hakim Abdullatif
Succeeded by: Wahid Hattab
Leader of the Change Movement Party (CMP) |
20 July 1960-1 December 1994.
Personal Details |
Born: 2 August 1930 , Al Manara, Amjedia |
Died: 7 April 2019 (aged 88), Al Manara , Amjedia |
Nationality: Amjedian |
Political Party: Change Movement Party (20 July 1960-1 December 1994) |
Spouse(s): Rabha al-Zia |
Children:
|
Education:University of Oxford |
– Political Sciences |
Signature: |
Ahmed Salah Kamel
Ahmed Salah Kamel (Arabic: أَحْمَدْ صَالَحْ كَامِلْ) (2 August 1930- 7 April 2019), also known as A.S.K, was an Amjedian politician, founder and leader of the Change Movement Party.
He was the President of Amjedia from 17 November 1972 to 17 November 1979. On 24 June 1992 he assumed the office again in a coup d’état, remaining in the office till being ousted by a revolt on 31 October 1994.
His repressive and dictatorial rule made him the worst President in the history of the country. He is the only dictator in the history of the Republic since its declaration on 6 June 1954.
On 10 May 1997, he was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Amjedian High Tribunal. However, he was released in 2016 due to his age.
Ahmed Salah Kamel was born in the capital Al Manara on 2 August 1930. His father was a teacher and his mother was a seamstress.
He joined the primary school in 1936 and was described by his teachers as a hard working but a rebellious person.
Despite Amjedia being a monarchy at that time, he was aspiring to be the country’s leader.
He obtained his baccalaureate in 1949 with a mention “Excellent”. His parents thought that with these results he would choose to study medicine, but Ahmed Salah Kamel opted for studying Political Science in the United Kingdom.
He returned to the homeland in September 1954, three months after the end of monarchy and joined the compulsory military service for one year.
From 1955 to 1960, Ahmed Salah Kamel interacted with many intellectuals form different parts of the world, read books and got influenced by Nationalist ideas.
Rise to presidency and the red years
On 20 July 1960, Ahmed Salah Kamel founded the opposition party “the Change Movement Party” with a group of colleagues.
In the elections of November 1972, he won the presidential elections and became the fourth President of Amjedia. His party came first in the legislative elections. Ahmed Salah Kamel appointed Hakim Abdullatif as his Prime Minister.
A few days following his victory, A.S.K gave orders to ban all opposition parties and suspended the constitution. Freedom of media was also outlawed banning all forms of criticism towards his regime. In fact, A.S.K made a list of topics that should be never discussed and in its light, newspapers, books; artistical works … were subjected to observation.
Amjedians lived 7 years in perpetual fear as journalists and opponents are daily arrested and jailed. Many of them were tortured and executed without any fair trial. Some of them also disappeared in mysterious conditions.
Besides being dictatorial, Ahmed Salah Kamel’s regime promoted also favoritism and regionalism. Rural and internal areas were isolated living in miserable conditions.
All that led to an increase in poverty and unemployment. The Amjedian economy which was terrifying dropped considerably with an unprecedented inflation and debt.
His Prime Minister Hakim Abdullatif tried vainly to advise him to change his way to rule the country.
The disagreements between the President Ahmed Salah Kamel and his Prime Minister Hakim Abdullatif ended with the latter defecting from the government in February 1978. He succeeded to escape and join the opposition in exile. Ahmed Salah Kamel replaced him with Ali Fateeh.
In March 1979, Ahmed Salah Kamel announced that he will run for candidacy for the presidential elections of November 1979 hoping to bring a second mandate.
However, he suffered a huge defeat against his only opponent the Former President Ahmed Kefi who ran as an independent candidate.
In 1982, exiled ex-Prime Minister Hakim Abdullatif returned to Amjedia and created the Free Amjedia Party (FAP). He won the Presidential Elections of November 1986.
Coup d’état of June 1992 and return to power
On 24 June 1992, Ahmed Salah Kamel aided by a group composed of his former Presidential guards and members of his Party (Change Movement Party), succeeded to infiltrate the Presidential House killing some of President’s Hakim Abdullatif guards and taking others in hostage.
Leader Hakim Abdullatif, who happened to be his Prime Minister from November 1972 to February 1978, was immediately deposed and arrested the same day then executed a few days later (28 June 1992).
The second spell of A.S.K’s rule was characterized by the return of the practices of the red years.
The high corruption, lack of freedoms and the critical economical situation led to a popular anger which started in August 1994 with protests against Ahmed Salah Kamel and his regime calling him to resign.
However, he refused by saying that he is President for life and described the acts of insurgence as inacceptable.
Unable to curb the unprecedented rising popular anger, Ahmed Salah Kamel resigned on 31 October 1994 after 2 months of continued protests. He delegated power to his Prime Minister Wahid Hattab who promised to hold presidential elections as soon as possible.
The same day the High Tribunal of Amjedia, the highest judiciary branch, declared that Ahmed Salah Kamel is not allowed to leave the country. He was arrested one day later (1 November 1994). His political party Change Movement Party (CMP) was dissolved one month later (1 December 1994).
The trial of Ahmed Salah Kamel began on 4 January 1995. The Last trial session was on 10 May 1997.
During the series of trials, he was confronted by family members of his opponents and Fahd Abdullatif son of Hakim Abdullatif. Members of his government who were also arrested testified against him too.
Ahmed Salah Kamel acknowledged that he used his influence in order to harm the campaigns of his opponents by using disinformation and intimidation in the Elections of November 1972. He also acknowledged the assassination of Hakim Abdullatif.
On 10 May 1997, he was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Amjedian High Tribunal after he pleaded guilty of electoral fraud, use of excessive force, murder, economical mismanagement and other various charges.
During his imprisonment, Ahmed Salah Kamel was granted medical care as per the constitution which grants prisoners the right of receiving appropriate healthcare.
He was released in 2016 by the Amjedian High Tribunal due to his age (86 years old).
In the same year, he appeared in an interview in which he expressed his apologies to the citizens saying that he feels very regretful for what he did during his presidency.
Ahmed Salah Kamel died on 7 April 2019 at the age of 88 years old following a series of breathing problems which led to his hospitalization several times.
Ahmed Salah Kamel was a Totalitarian Nationalist.
For: Government Surveillance, press control, one party State, censorship, national sovereignty.
Against: Freedom of speech, political freedom, civil rights, LGBT, political Islam, national healthcare service, welfare.
