The Congress of the Polisario Front (Arabic: مؤتمر جبهة البوليساريو, Spanish: Congreso del Frente Polisario) is the supreme decision-making body of the Polisario Front, with the power to decide on major tasks of the political, organizational, military, social, economic, diplomatic, media, cultural and other areas of the Front and the Sahrawi Republic.[1]
Congress of the Polisario Front مؤتمر جبهة البوليساريو Congreso del Frente Polisario | |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | 29 April 1973 |
| Structure | |
| Seats | Varies by Congress |
Length of term | 3 years, extensible to four |
| Authority | Polisario Front |
| Elections | |
First election | 10 May 1973 (1st) |
Last election | 13–22 January 2023 (16th) |
Next election | By 2026 (17th) |
| Rules | |
| Basic Law of the Polisario Front | |
The Congress is held every three years, with the National Secretariat of the Polisario Front being able to postpone it for a year. Participants in the Congress include elected activists, members of the National Secretariat and government, ambassadors, local political officials, members of the General Staff of the Sahrawi People's Liberation Army, delegates elected from every military region, representatives of mass and student organizations, heads of the municipalities and delegates representing the Sahrawi community abroad.[1]
Congresses evaluate the phase between two congresses, decide a program of national action, review the provisions of the Basic Law of the Polisario Front and Constitution of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, elect both the Secretary-General for the Polisario Front and the members of National Secretariat, which is the leadership body capable of taking major decisions on behalf of the Polisario Front between congresses.[1]
Convocations
edit16 ordinary and one extraordinary congresses have been held so far.[2]
| Congress | Named after the martyr | Duration (start—end) |
Elected | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Secretary-General | ||||
| 1st Congress | Mohamed Sidi Brahim Bassir | 29 April – 1 May 1973 | Brahim Ghali |  Zouérat
|
| 2nd Congress | Abderrahman Abdelahe | 25 – 31 August 1974 | El Wali Mustafa Sayed | |
| 3rd Congress | El Wali Mustafa Sayed | 25 – 28 August 1976 | Mohamed Abdelaziz | |
| 4th Congress | Sid Haydug | 25 – 30 September 1978 | ||
| 5th Congress | Bachir Saleh | 12 – 16 October 1982 | ||
| 6th Congress | Mohamed Lamin Abba Chej | 7 – 10 December 1985 | ||
| 7th Congress | Sidi Azman | 28 April – 1 May 1989 | ||
| 8th Congress | Bulahe Taleb Omar | 17 – 19 June 1991 | ||
| 9th Congress | Chej Bachri Hamadi | 19 – 26 August 1995 | ||
| 10th Congress | Ahmed Salem Mohamed Embarek | 26 August – 4 September 1999 | ||
| 11th Congress | Emborik Labeid Brahim Al Abd | 12 – 19 October 2003 | ||
| 12th Congress | Mesaud Embarek Ahmed Lehsan | 14 – 20 December 2007 |  Tifariti
| |
| 13th Congress | Mahafud Ali Beiba | 15 – 22 December 2011 | Tifariti
| |
| 14th Congress | Jalil Sidi Emhamed | 16 – 20 December 2015 |  Dajla camp
| |
| Extraordinary Congress | Mohamed Abdelaziz | 8 – 9 July 2016 | Brahim Ghali | Dajla camp
|
| 15th Congress | Bujari Ahmed Barikal-la | 19 – 23 December 2019 | Tifariti
| |
| 16th Congress | M'hamed Jaddad | 13 – 22 January 2023 | Dajla camp
|
References
edit- ^ a b c "Polisario 13th Congress to open tomorrow in the liberated Tifariti amid distinct foreign participation". 14 December 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2023 – via Sahara Press Service.
- ^ Garrido, Ana; Gómez, Enrique (31 October 2023). "El Frente Polisario" [The Polisario Front]. saharaoccidental.es (in Spanish). Una mirada al Sáhara Occidental. Retrieved 4 November 2023.