Egypt: Brotherhood Expected to Lose Seats
November 23rd, 2010 by Jason
In an article in Al Masry Al Youm, Noha El-Hennawy says that the Muslim Brotherhood is expected to suffer a “remarkable retreat” in Sunday’s election and will likely be replaced with the liberal Wafd party. As El-Hennawy explains, the unprecedented success of the Brotherhood in 2005, when the outlawed group won 88 seats with members running as independents, has lead the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) to crackdown on the party. Wafd party looks to be in the best position to capitalize on this turn of events, although Mohamed Sherdy, the Wafd Party’s official spokesman, seems less optimistic: “‘I was pro-election and pro-participation but if we could go back in time, I think we should really reconsider it […] I do not think they (the government) want anybody from the opposition, they are chocking (sic) the opposition.’”
Also, the Washington Institute for Near East Policy released an audio recording of a Policy Forum held yesterday on the Egyptian elections and U.S. policy towards Egypt. The discussants included Dina Guirguis, a Keston Family research fellow with the Washington Institute’s Project Fikra, David Schenker, the Aufzien fellow and director of the Program on Arab Politics at the Washington Institute, and Leslie Campbell, a senior associate and regional director of the National Democratic Institute’s (NDI) Middle East and North Africa division.
Posted in Civil Society, Egypt, Elections, Muslim Brotherhood, Political Parties, US foreign policy | Comment »
Egypt: Domestic Monitors Face Challenges
November 22nd, 2010 by Jason
Bahey el-din Hassan writes in Al Masry Al Youm that civil society and human rights organizations face three major challenges in monitoring Egypt’s November 28 elections: First, the groups must obtain permits from the High Elections Commission (HEC), a process that has become increasingly opaque. “Although the HEC set 7 November as the deadline for human rights groups to submit applications to monitor elections, it set no date for the issuance of permits,” he writes. Also, the HEC “mandates that monitors be impartial, but how can the commission, with its limited resources, evaluate thousands of monitors for bias? Or is it planning to outsource the job to the security apparatus?” The second major hurdle for groups is a lack of accurate information, a problem exacerbated by the “deplorable state” of the HEC itself. The third challenge are the restrictions placed on the press. “The regime launched a quiet coup in October that restructured TV and print media and placed enormous restrictions on the free flow of information. This means that election monitors will do their job in the dark,” according to Hassan.
Al Masry Al Youm also reports that the head of the HEC, Al-Sayed Abdel Aziz, has now “definitively” stated that “there would be ‘no monitoring’ of Sunday’s parliamentary elections, stressing that the role of civil society and human rights organizations would be limited to ‘following’ the elections rather than ‘monitoring’ them.”
Posted in Civil Society, Egypt, Elections, Human Rights, Journalism, Middle Eastern Media, NGOs | Comment »
Egypt: Rhetoric Heats Up as Election Nears
November 22nd, 2010 by Jason
U.S. Ambassador to Egypt Margret Scobey recently “reiterated American interest in transparent Egyptian parliamentary elections,” according to a report by Al Masry Al Youm. The Ambassador also “stressed the importance of local election oversight based on international standards, accompanied by international monitors.” Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif was quoted today insisting that “‘Egypt is capable of monitoring the upcoming polls to prove to the entire world we are able to manage completely impartial elections.’” Meanwhile, the Muslim Brotherhood’s Saad el-Katatni told reporters at a press conference that “‘[w]hat is happening right now is the actual rigging of the vote […] The regime is sending a message that there will be no election.’”
Anwar Esmat Sadat, son of the former president and an independent candidate for parliament, also released a statement today claiming that the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) has taken “illegal actions” and used “tricks” to change his status from “Farmers’ Seat” to “Categories” thus making him ineligible to run for the seat that he currently holds. Sadat goes on to say “Egypt’s citizens were promised a fair, equal, and transparent election. I thought that it would be a fair and just election based on the assurances of the President himself. Despite hardships, I tried to act positively and to ignore the voices calling to boycott the elections. However, this corruption shows that it is clear that the government is willing to exclude me from the Council, likely because I did not agree with their decisions simply in order to satisfy them.”
Posted in Civil Society, Egypt, Elections, Muslim Brotherhood | Comment »
Egypt: U.S. Should Have “Positive Impact on Change”
November 19th, 2010 by Jason
In the third and final part of a three-part series (parts one and two) exploring the political environment in Egypt prior to the November 28 parliamentary elections, Dina Guirguis focuses on the role the U.S. should play in pushing for democratic reforms in Egypt. Pointing to numerous “bad omens” including the firing of Ibrahim Eissa, the Egyptian government’s decision to not allow international monitors, and the “major restrictions” placed on domestic monitoring groups by the Shura Council, Guirguis says that “Egyptians are awakening to this reality and demonstrating creative outlets of resistance.” She says that the Obama administration “has thus far proved unwilling to rock the boat on Egypt for the sake of so-called regional interests,” and that “Egypt offers…an opportunity for the United States to have a positive impact on change.” Guirguis recommends “target[ing] known Egyptian human rights abusers” in the same way that recent sanctions have targeted members of the Iranian regime, and that the Obama Administration “should consider dropping its opposition to forward-leaning S. Res. 586 in support of freedom in Egypt,” among other measures.
Posted in Civil Society, Egypt, Elections, Political Parties, Reform, US foreign policy | Comment »
POMED Notes: “Egypt’s Political Future: The Parliamentary Elections and Beyond”
November 18th, 2010 by Jason
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace held an event on Thursday titled “Egypt’s Political Future: The Parliamentary Elections and Beyond.” The speakers for the event were Michele Dunne, senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment and editor of the online journal, the Arab Reform Bulletin, and Amr Hamzawy, research director and senior associate at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut. The discussion was moderated by Jennifer Windsor, the associate dean for Programs and Studies at the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown.
(To read full notes, continue below the fold or click here for pdf)
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Civil Society, Egypt, Elections, Freedom, Islamist movements, Muslim Brotherhood, NGOs, Political Parties, Reform, US foreign policy | Comment »
Report on International Religious Freedom Released
November 18th, 2010 by Jason
The 2010 Report on International Religious Freedom was released yesterday by the U.S. State Department. From the report’s introduction: “The values of religious freedom are universal, enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This report is an important tool in the effort to ensure respect for these values. The United States takes seriously its international commitments and, in the President’s words, ‘Our nation’s enduring commitment to the universal human right of religious freedom extends beyond our borders as we advocate for all who are denied the ability to choose and live their faith.’”
A candidate was also nominated for the position of Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom. Suzan D. Johnson Cook testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee yesterday. She told the assembled senators, “I am similarly persuaded in my mind, heart, and soul that religious freedom is the birthright of all people everywhere; it is a foundation of civil society, it is a key to international security, and it must always be a pillar of U.S. foreign policy.”
Posted in Civil Society, Freedom, Human Rights, US foreign policy | Comment »
Jordan: The “Paradox” of the Parliamentary Elections
November 17th, 2010 by Jason
Michele Dunne, who observed the recent parliamentary elections in Jordan as part of the International Republican Institute (IRI) delegation, writes “I find myself confronted with a paradox: although last week’s voting process can be characterized as credible, the elections unfolded within a broader political system that lacks credibility.” She describes officials at the “micro level” of the election as “impressively well prepared and organized,” although she did witness some small problems, including ballots not being counted at the beginning of the day to compare with total ballots cast at the end of voting. Dunne does cite the lack of an independent election commission as a major flaw in the system, and says that “while the voting and counting at each individual ballot box was open to scrutiny, the aggregation process that yielded the final results and voter turnout figures was not.” Dunne ends by asking two questions that she believes were left unanswered: “First, will the incoming assembly enjoy more credibility with the public than the one elected in 2007 […]? Second, what steps, if any, will the Jordanian government take to address festering concerns about the electoral system and the role of the parliament?”
Posted in Civil Society, Elections, Jordan | Comment »
Afghanistan: Electoral Process “Mired in Uncertainty”
November 17th, 2010 by Jason
Scott Worden writes that “[p]rotests have become frequent occurrences in Jalalabad, Khost, Kabul and Herat. Afghan media have aired a variety of audio and video recordings purporting to catch government and IEC [Independent Election Commission] officials in the act of committing fraud […] Welcome to the messy end-game of Afghanistan’s second Parliamentary election.” Worden goes on to chronicle a number of difficulties resulting from the election (the preliminary results of which were released a month ago), including failed candidates’ attempts to impugn the process (made less difficult due to a “lack of transparency in the process of invalidating ballots and deciding complaints”), the perception that President Hamid Karzai is attempting to interfere in some cases, and an overall lack of transparency from Afghanistan’s IEC and the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC). Worden does praise the IEC for its anti-corruption efforts, and offers several recommendations that would help “preserve what is left of the process so that no further damage is done to the rule of law or the credibility of the final results.”
Posted in Afghanistan, Civil Society, Elections | Comment »
Egypt: Divisions Within the Brotherhood
November 16th, 2010 by Jason
Michele Dunne and Amr Hamzawy have a new article describing the internal and external challenges facing the Muslim Brotherhood as the November 28 parliamentary elections approach. The extension of the Emergency Law, the rules against political activity with a “‘religious point of reference,’” and the arrest of numerous members including “[s]enior members and financiers,” have all contributed to a more hostile environment than was present in 2005. However, the authors identify the “vanishing internal consensus” within the Brotherhood as the “more serious” threat. Arguments in favor of electoral participation “have lost much of their credibility due to the lack of tangible progress made by Brotherhood deputies from 2005 to 2010.” As a result, a group calling themselves “‘Muslim Brotherhood reformists’” has formed and advocated for the separation of the Brotherhoods political and religious activities. Dunne and Hamzawy conclude that “it seems increasingly likely that the Muslim Brotherhood can be expected to make a weaker showing in the upcoming elections than it did in 2005.”
For more on the upcoming elections in Egypt, sign up for POMED’s Egypt Daily Update.
Posted in Civil Society, Egypt, Elections, Muslim Brotherhood | Comment »
Jordan: Is the Parliament a “Tribal Assembly?”
November 16th, 2010 by Jason
Writing at Foreign Policy’s Middle East Channel, Curtis R. Ryan argues that last week’s elections in Jordan resulted in “loyalist on loyalist — or royalist on royalist — violence…almost invariably linked to inter and intra-tribal tensions,” resulting from the move to a “‘sawt wahid’ or ‘one voice’ system,” and the creation of “sub-districts” that pitted tribal groups against one another. Ryan also says that, due to their boycott, the opposition Islamic Action Front (IAF) “can be counted among the losers at the polls, without even having contested them.” However, Ryan believes the IAF will react in the same way they did after boycotting the elections in 1997, by contesting leadership positions in Jordan’s professional associations and “re-emerge[ing] through civil society organizations.” Many Jordanians see the parliament as a “bastion of tribal loyalists competing not for policy but for patronage,” and Ryan contends that “most Jordanians are still looking for more substantial reform.”
Posted in Civil Society, Elections, Jordan | Comment »
“Islamic Feminism and Beyond”
November 15th, 2010 by Jason
The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars Middle East Program released a new paper (pdf) today, titled “Islamic Feminism and Beyond: The New Frontier.” The introduction is written by Haleh Esfandiari and Margot Badran, and the paper includes six sections covering a range of topics and countries. The articles include “Feminist Activism for Change in Family Laws and Practices: Lessons from the Egyptian Past for the Global Present” by Margot Badran, “Recent Amendments in the Turkish Civil and Criminal Codes and the Role of Feminist NGOs” by Binnaz Toprak, “Women and the Politics of Reform in Morocco” by Souad Eddouada, “Beyond Islamic Feminism: Women and Representation in Iran’s Democracy Movement” by Nayereh Tohidi, “The Personal Status Code and Women’s Celibacy in Tunisia” by Lilia Labidi, and “Analyzing Reform Successes and Failures: The Personal Status Regime in the Arab World” by Amaney Jamal.
Posted in Civil Society, Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Human Rights, Iran, Morocco, Reform, Tunisia, Turkey, Women | Comment »
Egypt: New Report Highlights Restrictions on Freedom, Electoral Irregularities
November 15th, 2010 by Anna
The Independent Coalition for Elections’ Observation released a report describing the recent crackdown on civil liberties in Egypt, as well as irregularities in the voting process, according to Al Masry Al Youm. The report – which was authored by the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS), the Egyptian Association for Community Participation Enhancement, and Nazra Association for Feminist Studies – criticizes the power given to the state security apparatus in managing the electoral process, mentions irregularities in the candidate registration and campaign process, highlights enforcement problems regarding the new women’s quota, and outlines restrictions on media outlets. Overall, the coalition finds, there is “a general bias towards the ruling party.” A statement by CIHRS asserts that the Egyptian government does not possess the “political will to run free and fair elections and create the necessary political environment in which they could flourish.” According to the report’s main analyst Sobhi Essaila, the report is intended to “offer plenty of facts” in order to inform the public ahead of the parliamentary elections.
Posted in Civil Society, Egypt, Elections, Freedom, Political Parties | Comment »
Doha Debates Choose Democratic Reform over Economic Liberalization
November 12th, 2010 by Anna
At a recent round of the Doha Debates – a monthly, televised event in which panelists debate a controversial issue before an audience drawn primarily from Qatar’s student body – 63% of audience members said that democratic reform should take precedence over economic liberalization. Although it was not a scientific poll, the vote “offer[ed] a clear rejection of the philosophy of the region’s so-called moderate Arab states, where economic incentives are offered in place of meaningful political reform,” the Los Angeles Times‘ Meris Lutz reported. One of the panelists debating the topic, Georgetown University academic Jean-Francois Seznec, argued that immediate democratization might lead to Islamist rule, which could mean more restrictions on freedom of speech. Egyptian blogger Wael Abbas responded that “you need to achieve participatory politics. […] If the government keeps shutting up leftists, Nasserites, liberals and democrats, the Islamists will win.”
Posted in Civil Society, Freedom, Gulf, Islam and Democracy, Public Opinion | Comment »
Jordan: Election Assessments
November 11th, 2010 by Jason
More preliminary statements have been released on Jordan’s elections. The International Republican Institute (IRI) called the elections “an improvement on previous elections and a significant step forward for the Middle East,” while also suggesting ways to improve the system, including addressing the over-representation of rural districts. The U.S. State Department released a statement congratulating Jordan on “welcoming international observer missions for the first time.” The government-owned Jordan Times reports that the Belgian Ambassador to Jordan, Johan Indekeu, is “satisfied with the electoral process.” He added that “[t]he EU also encourages the establishment of an Independent Electoral Commission, in line with the EU-Jordan Action Plan, to oversee the free and fair running of future elections.”
Posted in Civil Society, Elections, Jordan | Comment »
Egypt: Mubarak Insists Elections Will Be Fair, NGOs Disagree
November 10th, 2010 by Anna
At an NDP conference today, Hosni Mubarak said: “I reiterate the desire, of myself and my party, for free, transparent elections, conducted under the oversight of the High Elections Commission and civil society.” Various civil society groups, meanwhile, have called attention to shortcomings in the electoral process. Yesterday, the Forum of Independent Human Rights NGOs criticized the government’s crackdown on media and civil organizations, predicting in a report titled “Rigging the 2010 Parliamentary Elections in Egypt” that the upcoming vote “will not meet the international standards for free and fair elections.”
Posted in Civil Society, Egypt, Elections, NGOs | Comment »
Egypt: Interview With Co-Founder of the April 6 Youth Movement
November 10th, 2010 by Jason
The Carnegie Endowment has an interview with Ahmed Maher, co-founder of the April 6 youth movement in Egypt, at its Egypt Election page. Maher says that the April 6 movement supported the boycott of the “sham (sic) elections” and has called for the formation of a “parallel People’s Assembly.” When asked what the role of the April 6 movement is in Egypt, Maher replies: “[b]eing the first youth movement in Egypt to use internet-based modes of communication like Facebook and Twitter, we aim to promote democracy by encouraging public involvement in the political process. We encourage people to take an interest in political decision-making and issues such as the separation of powers. […] Moreover, we call for social justice and an economic system where power and wealth are not intermingled, as is the case currently. This is the form of the state we want, and democratic development is our ultimate objective.” The interview goes on to cover issues such as censorship and the relationship between the April 6 movement and the National Association for Change.
Posted in Civil Society, Egypt, Elections | Comment »
Jordan: Election Day
November 9th, 2010 by Jason
Voting in Jordan’s parliamentary election has begun. Al Jazeera’s Nisreen El-Shamayleh writes that the results of today’s election are completely “predictable.” The changes to the election laws in May of this year were “clearly engineered to deprive the Islamic Action Front (IAF) of votes,” according to El-Shamayleh. She also argues that the polity in Jordan has been encouraged to “create sub-identities” that have “split Jordan into Palestinian and Bedouin areas.” Randa Habib, writing for Agence France Presse, reports that the IAF may now take “a tougher stance” towards the Jordanian government. Habib also comments on the “one-person-one vote” controversy: “Under this system, although there may be more than one seat in a constituency, voters are allowed to choose only one candidate. Before 1993, they were able to vote for all seats in their constituency.” Abigail Fielding-Smith explains the problematic way in which districts are drawn in the Financial Times, saying that the capital, Amman, has “28 seats for 2.3 million people,” whereas Ma’an, a district in the south, has “7 for 143,000,” making a vote in Ma’an “worth about four in the capital.”
The Black Iris, a blog written by Jordanian
Naseem Tarawnah, also has
live updates and links to Arabic news sources.
Posted in Civil Society, Elections, Jordan | Comment »
Egypt: Government Argues that Civil Society is “Dynamic,” “Healthy”
November 5th, 2010 by Anna
In the Washington Post today, Egyptian finance minister and member of parliament Youssef Boutros-Ghali responds to recent criticisms of the Egyptian government. Boutros-Ghali contends that Egypt’s economic growth “has helped make Egyptian civil society the most dynamic in the Middle East.” He cites the sizeable number of independent satellite broadcasters, publications, bloggers, and opposition papers as evidence that “Egypt is a different country from the one it was five years ago,” and calls the country “a regional trendsetter.” Boutros-Ghali also highlights increased women’s representation in public positions. Regarding “the imperfections in our political system,” he argues that “[t]he fact that Egyptians are having open discussions about the upcoming elections, government performance, poverty and even the president is proof of a healthy political space.” Moreover, he depicts the alternative to the ruling National Democratic Party as attempting to “steer the country…toward greater fundamentalism.” Boutros-Ghali points out that U.S-Egypt relations are increasingly built on trade and investment, and contends that “an economically developed and politically stable Egypt will improve America’s security and help to create the foundations of a prosperous and stable Middle East.”
For more information on news on Egypt, sign up for POMED’s Egypt Daily Update.
Posted in Civil Society, Egypt, Freedom, Journalism, US foreign policy | Comment »
Afghanistan: Election Fraud Triggers Investigation
November 4th, 2010 by Jason
Accusations of voter fraud in Afghanistan’s September elections have triggered an investigation by the country’s attorney general, according to Joshua Partlow in today’s Washington Post. “Deputy Attorney General Rahmatullah Nazari said his staff has begun investigating nine cases in which election officials, all but one of them at the Kabul headquarters of the Independent Election Commission, are accused of rigging votes.” Afghan officials announced following the election that 1.3 million of the 5.6 million total ballots cast had to be disqualified because of likely fraud.
Posted in Afghanistan, Civil Society, Elections | Comment »
POMED Notes: “Iraq’s Development Challenges”
November 2nd, 2010 by Jason
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) held a roundtable discussion Tuesday titled “Iraq’s Development Challenges.” The discussants were Christine McNab, Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General & UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, John Desrocher, Director, Office of Iraq Affairs, US Department of State, and Leslie Campbell, Regional Director for the Middle East & North Africa, National Democratic Institute (NDI). The discussion was moderated by Frederick Tipson, Director of UNDP/Washington.
(To read full notes, continue below the fold or click here for pdf.) Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Civil Society, Elections, Foreign Aid, Freedom, Iraq, Political Parties, Public Opinion, Reform, Sectarianism, US foreign policy | Comment »
