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Inpolitics, aparty chair (oftenparty chairperson/-man/-woman orparty president) is thepresiding officer of apolitical party. The nature and importance of the position differs from country to country, and also between political parties.
The role of a party chairperson is often quite different from that of aparty leader. The duties of the chairman are typically concerned with the party membership as a whole, and the activities of the party organization. Chairpersons often play important roles in strategies to recruit and retain members, in campaignfundraising, and in internal party governance, where they may serve as a member of, or even preside over, a governing board or council. They often also have influence in candidate selections, and sometimes in the development and promulgation of party policy. When describing the position within the AmericanDemocratic Party,PBS NewsHour described it as "part cheerleader, part fundraiser, part organizer and recruiter, part public messenger".[1]
Throughout the years Party Chairperson roles have changed as candidates create their own fundraising committees.[2]
InBelgium, the top position of a political party is typically called its chairman (voorzitter/président), but its role is rather that of a party leader or even a combination of both. The party chairman/leader is the mightiest person within the party, controlling appointments etc. After thePrime Minister of Belgium the party chairmen are the most important figures in Belgian politics, sometimes characterized as aparticracy. Following parliamentary elections, the party chairmen are the chief negotiators of thecoalition agreement, and subsequently the chairman of the largest governing party typically becomes the Prime Minister and resigns as party chairman; he is replaced by a different chairman, usually interim. For example,PS chairmanElio Di Rupo became Prime Minister of theDi Rupo Government in 2011 and resumed the chairmanship in 2014 at the end of the government. He was replaced byThierry Giet andPaul Magnette during this period.
Most major political parties elect their chairman by a vote of all the party's members. This practice was started by theFlemish liberal party in the 1990s.
The convenor of the ruling BJP ledNational Democratic Alliance is called the Chairperson. India's Home MinisterAmit Shah holds the post.
The leader ofChinese Communist Party between 1943 and 1982 was theChairman of the Chinese Communist Party. The post of chairman was abolished in 1982, and most of its functions were transferred to the revived post ofGeneral Secretary.
Usually in Malaysia, the term is used to refer any leader of apolitical coalition. The term 'president' in the other hand refer to a political party leader. Despite that, the role of a coalition chair is the same as party leader. The leader of the largest party within the coalition is usually will also be the chairperson of his or her alliance. However, this is not a requirement. For example, current President ofPeople's Justice Party cum Prime MinisterAnwar Ibrahim is also the Chairman ofPakatan Harapan despite his party is not the largest one in the coalition.
However, in a political party, there may still a title of Chairperson (often styled as Permanent Chairperson) exist in most of parties. It holds the highest ranking in any party posts. Despite that, the position is not the most powerful within the party as the President still holds its power.
In theNetherlands, in contrast to Belgium, the chairmen are relatively weak, due to a separation of powers. Chairmen of political parties merely control the party organization, the bureau, and its finances, while the political leader, often thechair of the parliamentary party, decides over the party's political course. Many party chairmen go on to occupy more important posts.Ria Beckers for instance was chairman of thePolitical Party of Radicals, before she becamechair of its parliamentary party. There is one important exception to the above picture:Jan Marijnissen, former political leader of theSocialist Party combined being political leader of its parliamentary party and chairman of the party itself. In both smaller and newer parties. Both the party chair and the political leader is often not are occupied by the same person due to the size and the rapid organization of the party
In the United Kingdom the term may refer to the holder of the office ofChairman of the Conservative Party or to a senior member of theLabour Party (not to be confused with the otherChairman of the Labour Party who chairs the NEC or theChairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party elected solely by Labour MPs). This title was given to Labour'sHarriet Harman after she was electedDeputy Leader of the Labour Party in June 2007.
The chairmen of theDemocratic National Committee (DNC) andRepublican National Committee (RNC) serve as the operational heads of their respective political party. In addition, each state and territory has their own Democratic and Republican Party which also have chairmen or chairwomen.