Project on Middle East Democracy

Project on Middle East Democracy
The POMED Wire Archives


Category: Elections

IFES Releases Briefing Paper on Egypt’s Referendum and Upcoming Elections

April 29th, 2011 by Naureen

This week, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) released its second briefing paper on Egypt which provides an overview of the measures that have been implemented since President Hosni Mubarak stepped down and discusses the referendum.  The report also addresses the issues that need to be addressed prior to the upcoming elections such as the establishment of  independent and transparent supreme judicial bodies to supervise elections, enforce election laws and regulations, and establish timely and effective procedures for receiving complaints. It also discusses the need for ensuring that the security forces and the elections unit of the interior ministry are accountable to the judicial bodies,  the use of a national ID database to assign voters to voting centers, improving services to voters by increasing staff at voting centers, and providing better voter education programs.  The report also calls for domestic and international observation of the elections.  IFES issued its first briefing paper on Egypt in early February in which the key challenges for credible and competitive elections in Egypt were presented.


Posted in Civil Society, Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Elections, Protests, Reform | Comment »

Secretary McHale Discusses Importance of People-to-People Diplomacy

April 28th, 2011 by Naureen

On Wednesday, Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Judith McHale discussed the State Department’s ‘people-to-people’ diplomacy initiative at the Exchange 2.0 Summit.  In her address, she noted the importance of engaging with more people “to better ensure the stability and security of our world.”  She highlighted the youth presence online and the importance of the youth as “drivers of change” as seen in the Middle East and North Africa.  ”This is a critical inflection point for these newly empowered youth, which makes this a critical moment for the United States to redouble our efforts to support and engage them,” she said.  She stated that such engagement and interaction will help develop important skills and empower youth to “be a positive force for change in their communities” and stand up for their basic rights.  Secretary McHale pointed to current exchange projects in Tunisia to help mentor journalists and exchanges between U.S. and Egyptian high schoolers and college students.


Posted in Civil Society, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Egypt, Elections, Freedom, Human Rights, Protests, Reform, Tunisia, US foreign policy, Youth | Comment »

Palestine: Hamas and Fatah Reach Tentative Agreement

April 27th, 2011 by Alec

Rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas have reportedly reached a deal to end their four year dispute according to Egyptian and Palestinian officials.  Meetings between the officials of the two groups took place n Cairo under Egyptian auspices.  The tentative plan calls for the formation of a single caretaker government with presidential and parliamentary elections to follow in a year’s time.  Key questions over the control of rival security forces have not yet been answered.


Posted in Elections, Hamas, Islamist movements, Palestine, Political Parties | 1 Comment »

HRW Highlights UAE Government Crackdown on Activists

April 26th, 2011 by Naureen

On Saturday, UAE authorities dissolved the board of directors of a the Jurist Association, a prominent civil society organization in the country and replaced its members with state appointees.  Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated that the action is part of a broader crackdown on peaceful dissent by the government. Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at HRW  stated that “UAE authorities have staged a hostile takeover of one of the country’s leading rights groups. The government is reacting to domestic criticisms by banning websites, detaining peaceful activists, and intensifying its chokehold on civil society.”

HRW also called on the UAE government to release Ahmed Mansour and four other activists who have been detained for ”instigation, breaking laws and perpetrating acts that pose threat to state security, undermining the public order, opposing the government system, and insulting the President, the Vice President and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi,” according to UAE Attorney General Salim Saeed Kubaish.  HRW Middle East director Sarah Leah Whitson stated, “This shows how far the UAE has to go to become a rights-respecting country. All those being detained for speaking out against abuses should be immediately released.”


Posted in Civil Society, Corruption, Elections, Freedom, Human Rights, Military, UAE | Comment »

Freedom House Releases Internet Freedom Report

April 26th, 2011 by Naureen

Last week, Freedom House released its report on internet freedom in 37 countries around the world. The report found that while the number of internet users have increased, “governments have stepped up efforts to regulate, and in some instance tightly control, the new medium.”  The study highlights the  increase in the number of blocked and filtered sites as well as the arrest of bloggers and internet users posting information contrary to the government’s views.  It also notes the fact that a large number of governments, such as Saudi Arabia, have deliberately blocked access to information related to politics, social issues, and human rights.  It also notes the sophistication of these regimes to filter and control content or even shut down the internet, as was the case in Egypt.  The report notes that intensified censorship and arrest of users came “in the context of popular protests or contentious elections” in countries like Bahrain, Iran and Tunisia and highlights the importance of sites such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter in social and political activism during the recent and ongoing events Egypt, Tunisia, and Bahrain.  In the study, Jordan was listed as a “country at risk” due to the monitoring of some activity by authorities and the adoption of a new law on cybercrimes that may be used to limit free expression on the internet.

Jordan, Turkey and Egypt received a “Partly Free” designation while Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Iran were labeled as “Not Free.”  Iran received the lowest internet freedom score due to the internet restrictions put in place following the 2009 Green Revolution, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard’s stake in the Telecommunications Company of Iran and the banning of encrypted e-mail sites like Gmail.


Posted in Bahrain, Civil Society, Corruption, Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Elections, Freedom, Iran, Jordan, Protests, Reform, Saudi Arabia, Technology, Tunisia, Turkey | Comment »

Tunisia: Old Regime Officials Banned from Ballot, Faces Prosecution

April 26th, 2011 by Ali

Tunisian Prime Minister Beji Caid Sebsi announced that the senior officials of the former ruling Constitutional Democratic Rally (RCD) party are banned from participating in the country’s July 24th elections. The ban also applies to top aides to ousted president Zine el Abidine Ben Ali. Tunisia’s Justice Minister Lazhar Karoui Chebbi announced that he is seeking to try Ben Ali on 18 charges, including murder and drug trafficking. To this end, he is exploring means of extraditing him from Saudi Arabia.


Posted in Elections, Judiciary, Legislation, Tunisia | Comment »

CNN Asks Experts to Comment on Future of “Arab Spring”

April 26th, 2011 by Naureen

Given the uncertainty surrounding events in the Middle East, CNN.com asked five experts to address how the “Arab Spring” will play out in the coming months.   Ibrahim Sharqieh, deputy director of the Brookings Doha Center, states that in the coming months we will see a new paradigm for political transition in the Middle East as dictators use more forceful means to quell popular uprisings. Nader Hashemi notes the misnomer of  ”Arab Spring” given the differing internal dynamics of the countries, but notes that the days are numbered for Arab dictators.   Parag Khanna, senior research fellow with the New America Foundation, argues that the region is likely to remain volatile especially  in Egypt during the lead up to parliamentary elections and in Bahrain where the government has suppressed the opposition instead of addressing its concerns.  He also notes the role the International Monetary Fund and the Gulf countries can play in supporting structural economic modernization throughout the region.

Julie Taylor, a political scientist at the RAND Corp., stated that in the next six months, we will likely see regime change in Yemen and Libya.  Taylor also notes the Syrian armed forces  commitment to President Bashar al-Assad and the strong support the regime will likely receive from Iran for a mass crackdown.  Feryal Cherif draws parallels between the events in Egypt and those in Syria where both leaders offered concessions in hopes of appeasing protesters, but tended to remain a step behind protesters’ demands.  She notes, however, that Syria lacks the presence of a strong civil society and experience with activism, which will likely hinder their movement.


Posted in Bahrain, Civil Society, Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Elections, Gulf, Iran, Military, Protests, Reform, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen | Comment »

NDI Releases Report on Tunisian Youth Opinion About Transition

April 25th, 2011 by Naureen

Last week, the National Democratic Institute released a report outlining the results of a qualitative study to explore what Tunisia’s youth think and feel about the past, present and future of their country.  The information will be used to ensure the Tunisian political elites understand and address the expectations of the youth during the transition process and develop outreach strategies to increase youth involvement.  The study, which looks at data compiled from ten focus groups in nine cities across the country, shows that the Tunisian youth are excited about voting and participating in the first free election to be held in their lifetime and hope to play a meaningful role in the unfolding transition.  The report also highlights youth fear that the transition will be co-opted by individuals and elite groups  ”attempting to profit from the revolution for personal gain,” noting the non-transparent process thus far.  Additionally, the findings demonstrate that the political parties and civil society organizations are unknown by the youth today, due to their severe repression under former President Zine Ben Ali.


Posted in Civil Society, Democracy Promotion, Elections, Freedom, Islam and Democracy, Protests, Tunisia | Comment »

Yemen Update: Opposition Accepts GCC Plan

April 25th, 2011 by Naureen

On Monday, a Yemeni opposition source told Reuters that the opposition has fully accepted a plan created by the Gulf Cooperation Council for Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down.  The source also said that the opposition would participate in the transitional government.  The plan, which transfers power to the Vice President and grants Saleh immunity,  was initially rejected by the opposition who called for Saleh to step down immediately.  Other members of the opposition rejected the plan with the demand that Saleh be prosecuted.


Posted in Democracy Promotion, Elections, Gulf Cooperation Council, Protests, Reform, Yemen | Comment »

Jordan: National Dialogue Committee to Conclude Work in Four Weeks

April 25th, 2011 by Ali

Jordanian Senate President Taher Masri said the work of the National Dialogue Committee is running smoothly and should conclude in under a month. The four subcommittees which comprise the National Dialogue Committee are charged respectively with general framework, political parties, elections and constitutional amendments. The committee has been criticized for lacking youth representation and for serving as more of a royal think tank.


Posted in Civil Society, Elections, Freedom, Jordan, Legislation, Political Parties, Youth | Comment »

POMED Notes: “A Conversation with Iranian Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi”

April 22nd, 2011 by Naureen

On Thursday, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace hosted a discussion with Iranian Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi about her new book, The Golden Cage: Three Brothers, Three Choices, One Destiny about the Iranian revolution and the struggle of activists and the human rights movement. Jessica Matthews, President of the Carnegie Endowment made opening remarks and Karim Sadjadpour moderated the event.

To read full notes, continue below or click here for pdf.

Read the rest of this entry »


Posted in DC Event Notes, Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Elections, Freedom, Human Rights, Iran, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Protests, Reform, sanctions, Tunisia, US foreign policy | Comment »

POMED Notes: “From Revolution to Democracy: The Next Generation of Democracy Builders”

April 22nd, 2011 by Kyle

On Tuesday, Freedom House hosted an event on the political transition within Tunisia following the overthrow of President Ben Ali and prior to the Constituent Assembly elections on July 24th. The talk also addressed the promulgation of a new electoral law by the interim government that institutes gender parity in upcoming elections. The speaker was Sofiene Chourabi a journalist, blogger and civil society activist, who discussed the developments on the ground and the challenges facing Tunisians with regard to the upcoming election and the role of youth in shaping and driving forward the transition.

For full notes continue below, or click here for here.

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Posted in Corruption, Democracy Promotion, Elections, Freedom, Human Rights, Protests, Reform, Tunisia | Comment »

Turkish Political Parties Release Election Manifestos

April 22nd, 2011 by Naureen

On Friday, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan presented the Justice and Development Party (AKP)’s election manifesto in which he outlined the government’s economic vision for Turkey’s future. He also criticized the opposition party, Republican People’s Party (CHP)’s economic policy and the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP)’s incitement of violence against police officers in the southeast during protests over the ban of Kurdish candidates.  The CHP also released its election manifesto, which party chairman Kemal Kilicdaroglu stated “will bring democracy and freedom to our country.”  He stated that if the CHP comes to power, it’s first move would be to change the constitution to take “into consideration the views of all segments of the society.”  He also announced planned economic reforms.


Posted in Elections, Freedom, Kurds, Political Parties, Protests, Reform, Turkey | Comment »

Sec. Clinton and Former Sec. Kissinger Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Middle East

April 22nd, 2011 by Naureen

Speaking on Charlie Rose series, “Conversations on Diplomacy,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger discussed U.S. diplomatic efforts.  Clinton highlighted the the new challenges facing U.S. foreign policy as the focus shifts away from state-to-state relationships to networks and multilateral relations  and organizations.  She also noted the implications of new technologies and new media.  Kissinger noted the “huge changes” in state structure taking place across Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Even amongst all these changes, the United States continues to remain a dominant power in the world that countries across the world turn to for leadership and aid.  Clinton stated however, that “one of our biggest foreign policy challenges right now is to get our own house in order…we have to consolidate our own economic and political position in order to be able to continue to influence events in the future.”

Discussing the “Arab Spring,” Secretary Kissinger stated that the revolutions are still unfolding, as such we must be cautious of being overly optimistic. He noted, however, that we must not be too hasty in judging the outcome of the uprisings based on the proclamations of a few and ensure real transitions occur.  Clinton noted that it is U.S. interest “to see a peaceful, stable transition to a more  representative form of government in which institutions are able to democratize over time.”  She also noted the lack of economic growth and development in the region as a reason for the people’s frustrations.  Clinton and Kissinger also discussed the threat of Iran and the country’s hope to take advantage of the instability in the region.  Kissinger also stated that the situation in Libya is peripheral to the events in the broader Middle East.


Posted in Civil Society, Corruption, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Egypt, Elections, Foreign Aid, Freedom, Gulf, Human Rights, Iran, Islam and Democracy, Jordan, Libya, Military, NATO, Protests, Reform, Syria, Tunisia, US foreign policy, Yemen | Comment »

Secretary General of Génération Tunisie Libre Discusses Role of Al-Nahda in Tunisia

April 21st, 2011 by Naureen

Rajaa Basly, writing at the Arab Reform Bulletin, discusses the role Islamist party, al-Nahda, has played in the revolution thus far and what it’s future contributions look like.  Basly states that while the party did not play a role in the uprisings that overthrew President Zine Ben Ali, it has since become an influential player, especially now that it has joined the Committee for the Protection of the Revolution and the Political Reform Committee, which may be granted executive powers.  He notes, however, that many Tunisians remain cautious of the party given the accusations of terrorism following incidents in the 1990s when al-Nahda activists attacked a RCD office in Tunis.  Basly discusses the party’s “flexible political discourse” which continues its Islamic tradition while making reassurances that its committed to democracy, human rights, non-violence and equality.  He also discusses how the party  has sided with protesters in its critiques of the current government but notes the threat of fragmentation given the legalization of nearly 50 political parties, some of which are Islamist in orientation and potential competitors for al-Nahda.  Basly states that the party will have to clarify its stance on state secularism especially following the rise of the Salafi youth movement, Hizb al-Tahrir.


Posted in Civil Society, Democracy Promotion, Elections, Freedom, Human Rights, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Protests, Reform, Tunisia, Turkey, Women's Rights | Comment »

POMED Notes: CSID Conference on Egypt and Tunisia

April 18th, 2011 by Ali

On Friday, the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID) held their 12th Annual Conference under the theme “Tunisia’s and Egypt’s Revolutions and Transitions to Democracy.” CSID President Radwan Masmoudi opened the conference by giving special attention to discerning real and fake stability and development in Egypt and Tunisia.

The first panel, chaired by George Washington University Visiting Scholar and Program Committee Chair for the event, Radwan Ziadeh, was entitled “The Jasmine Revolution’ and Transition to Democracy in Tunisia: Why and How?”  Jaloul Ayed, the Tunisian Minister of Finance, opened the panel following a brief introduction by Tunisian Ambassador Mohamed Saleh Tekaya.

Continue reading below, or click here for the pdf.

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Posted in Civil Society, DC Event Notes, Diplomacy, Elections, Foreign Aid, Freedom, Human Rights, Islam and Democracy, Judiciary, Multilateralism, Muslim Brotherhood, Political Islam, Political Parties, Protests, Public Opinion, Reform, Sectarianism, Secularism, US foreign policy, US politics, Youth | Comment »

Tunisia: Commission Orders Gender Parity for Party Lists

April 14th, 2011 by Alec

The Tunisian transitional commission organizing upcoming July 24th elections for the Constituent Assembly issued a decree this week requiring gender parity between men and women on party lists.  The decree has been welcomed by all members of the commission including representatives from the Ennahda Islamist movement.  The decree also bans former member of the now defunct RCP and people previously serving in the Ben Ali regime during the past 10 years. The commission has also set up an independent electoral commission to consist of 12 members.  The measure has yet to be approved by the interim government.


Posted in Elections, Reform, Tunisia, Women, Women's Rights | Comment »

Time for Moroccan Monarchy and the PAM to Part Ways?

April 14th, 2011 by Alec

Maati Monjib and Intissar Fakir, writing at The Guardian’s Comment is Free, call on Moroccan King Mohammed VI to separate himself from the Authenticity and Modernity party (PAM) in a “clear and definitive way.”  Monjib and Fakir accuse the party of being a “political tool for the monarchy” and chronicle its rise to power in 2009 with direct support from the King himself.  The party has quickly come to dominate Moroccan parliamentary politics and several of its elected members flouted legal restrictions by switching to PAM’s party list ahead of 2009 elections.  A Moroccan judge who tried to enforce election laws on PAM after the elections was fired and his salary suspended.  The party itself strongly embraces the monarchy and came out against street protests that took place in February.  Civil society activists have called for the party’s dissolution or at the very least, severing ties with the King.  Monjib and Fakir conclude that the party is turning out to be a liability for the King as he tries to maintain his image as a reformer; he can show “good faith,” they say, by “staying away from party politics.”


Posted in Elections, Morocco, Political Parties, Protests, Reform | Comment »

New FY2011 Budget Bill Released

April 12th, 2011 by Naureen

On Tuesday,  Congress released H.R.1473, the FY2011 bill which will  fund the federal government through September 30th. The bill, which is $78.5 billion less than the President’s FY2011 request, includes $39.9 billion in cuts from FY2010 levels.  House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers (R-KY) lauded the bill stating, “Never before has any Congress made dramatic cuts such as those that are in this final legislation.”  Senate Appropriations Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-HI)  stated: “The final compromise legislation negotiated with the House of Representatives contains significant spending reductions, but protects the vital economic and security interests of the United States.”

Under the bill, the funding level for the State Department and Foreign Operations totals $48.3 billion, a $504 million reduction from FY2010 levels and $8.4 billion less than the President’s FY2011 request.  However, it represents an increase over the proposed cuts in H.R.1, which sought to reduce the State and Foreign Operations budget by $3.8 billion. The bill freezes most of the spending near FY2010 levels.  It also makes available up to $250 million for democracy and development assistance in Egypt and asks that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton submit a spending plan with a “comprehensive strategy” to promote these two goals.  The bill requires  a report by Clinton on the progress of Egypt’s political transition and preparations for free and fair elections, but notably shifts this a requirement from Egypt’s foreign military financing, as proposed in the Senate’s version of the FY11 bill in March, to its economic assistance.  Also compared to the March Senate version, the bill omits $5 million in democracy assistance to Tunisia and also prohibits appropriating  foreign military funding to Yemen in addition to Bahrain, unless waived by the Administration. It also notes that funds appropriated under the State and Foreign Operations heading may be made available to support other democratic transitions in the Middle East and North Africa.

To see the full list of cuts to various programs click here.


Posted in Bahrain, Congress, Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Elections, Foreign Aid, Freedom, Human Rights, Jordan, Tunisia, US foreign policy, Yemen | Comment »

Egyptian Analyst Discusses Need to Bridge Egypt’s Religious and Secular Public Spheres

April 12th, 2011 by Naureen

In an op-ed in Al-Ahram, Ibrahim El-Houdaiby discusses the emergence and role of the  two public spheres fostered by the Mubarak’s regime: the religious and secular-liberal spheres.  He notes that these spheres, which had minimal diversity and relatively exclusive, had little influence on the regime’s policies.  Rather, Mubarak chose which sphere’s rhetoric to employ to justify his policies.  El-Houdaiby also discusses how these regimes changed over time and calls on members of both spheres to reconcile.  ”Ousting Mubarak’s regime means the emergence of an all-inclusive polity that reflects societal diversities. That in turn requires the emergence of an inclusive public sphere — one that transforms reconciliatory efforts into a mainstream movement,” he says.  He closes by stating that failure to reconcile will “jeopardise long-term national stability for the sake of short-term electoral success.”


Posted in Civil Society, Egypt, Elections, Freedom, Islam and Democracy, Muslim Brotherhood, Political Islam, Protests, Reform, Secularism | Comment »