Bakdash, Khaled (1912-1995): Syrian politician. He was born in Damascus and studied in its law school. He joined the Syrian Communist Party in 1930. He participated in organizing several strikes in Syria and Lebanon, and was jailed for short periods in 1931 and 1932. In 1935, he led the Syrian delegation to the Seventh Congress of the Communist International in Moscow, and remained there for a period of training. He became chairman of the Communist Part in 1937 and was elected for the Parliament in 1954, becoming the first communist deputy in the Arab World. Although he declared support to the union with Egypt in 1958, the Party was actually opposed to it. President Nasser of Egypt, who also became president of the United Arab Republic, did not tolerate opposition. Communist party members were jailed and Bakdash had to leave Syria. He stayed in Moscow from 1958 to 1966. He assumed leadership of the Party again in April 1966, and had to face opposition inside the Party itself. In 1972, the Communist Party was split into two wings: one led by Bakdash, and one led by Riad Turk and known as "Communist Party-Political Office".