The former head of the Arab Democratic Nasserist Party, Diaa Eldin Dawoud (born 27 March, 1926), passed away today at the age of 85.  

The Egyptian party has witnessed tense conflicts since Dawoud left due to health problems last November, leaving the party in a political wilderness.

Although Dawoud had delegated Sameh Ashour, a general member of the party, to act as it's head, conflicts between him and his opposition, Ahmed Hassan, Secretary General, have lead to court proceedings.

Dawoud served in previous ministerial posts and as the secretary general of the Nasserist party from 1992 to 2002.

The Arab Democratic Nasserist Party is the ideological successor of Gamal Abdel Nasser, the second president of Egypt. The party won three seats out of 454 in 2000 parliamentary elections, yet failed to win any seats in 2005 and 2010 elections. 

Notably, Dawoud was sentenced to 10 years in jail during the Trial of the 'Centres of power' in 1971, when Egypt’s then President Sadat accused those close to the previous president, Gamal Abdel Nasser, of plotting a coup against him.