Tunisian PM Meets with Congressional Members
"Tunisia could be a model for several countries of the region if it managed to achieve the objectives of last January 14 revolution," Interim Prime Minister Béji Caid Essebsi stated at a series of talks in Washington with ...
October 7, 2011
Category: Civil Society, Congress, Elections, Featured, Government, Political transition, Reform, Tunisia
“Tunisian Leader to the West: Do not Fear Islamists”
As Islamists are in position to fair well in the upcoming Tunisian elections, Prime Minister Beji Caid Essebsi urged the West not to fear. In an interview Wednesday, Essebsi stated, "All Islamist parties are not the same." The election ...
October 5, 2011
Category: Elections, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Political Parties, Political transition, Tunisia
Egypt: Panetta Discusses Democracy and Emergency Law
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta called on Egypt's ruling military leaders to follow through on building a legitimate democracy, patch up relations with Israel, and release an alleged U.S.-Israeli spy. The military leaders said nothing publicly on each count, but Panetta came away from ...
“Pact by Egypt’s Parties Angers Voters”
In reaction to a pact signed by Egyptian party leaders and the ruling military council, activists denounced the agreement as a betrayal to the principles of the revolution. The pact included concessions made by the ruling generals to amend the ...
October 4, 2011
Category: Egypt, Elections, Political Parties, Political transition, Protests, Public Opinion, Reform
PM Jibril Will Step Down After Libya Unites
Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril stated that he will step down from his post "once the country is liberated." While no members of the TNC will be allowed to participate in Libya's post-revolution government, "Jibril became the first TNC ...
October 3, 2011
Category: Democracy Promotion, Elections, Featured, Libya, NATO, Political transition
Hillary Clinton Discusses Egypt’s Political Transition
Sharif Amer of Al-Hayat Al-Youm conducted an interview with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to discuss Egypt's ongoing political transition. Clinton stated that the United States is "very impressed and encouraged by what we see happening in Egypt," and ...
October 3, 2011
Category: Diplomacy, Egypt, Elections, Featured, Freedom, Government, Political transition, Reform
October 1, 2011
Category: Civil Society, Egypt, Elections, Political Parties, Political transition, Protests, Public Opinion
Analysis: “Activists in Arab World Vie to Define Islamic State”
As debate about governance after the Arab uprisings sweeps the Middle East, Islamists are competing to define an Islamic state, writes Anthony Shadid and David Kirkpatrick of the New York Times. "They are confronting newly urgent questions about how to apply ...
September 30, 2011
Category: Egypt, Elections, Foreign Aid, Islam and Democracy, Political Islam, Political transition, Protests, Reform, US foreign policy, US politics
Egypt: Democratic Coalition Threatens Election Boycott
On Wednesday, the Democratic Coalition announced that its members would not participate in the November 28 parliamentary elections if Article 5, announced by SCAF on Tuesday, remained in effect. The Coalition, which includes the Muslim Brotherhood and al-Wafd among ...
September 29, 2011
Category: Diplomacy, Egypt, Elections, Featured, Foreign Aid, Islamist movements, Political Parties, Political transition, US foreign policy
Egypt: Is SCAF a Continuation of Mubarak-era Repression?
In Egypt, some activists say the SCAF "doesn't seem to understand the kind of rage on the street," and that "it's only a matter of time before the public takes to the street again and this time with full force." This discontent stems from the perception that Egypt's army still represents the old regime. Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi's Saturday testimony in the Mubarak trial as well as SCAF's revival of ...
September 28, 2011
Category: Egypt, Elections, Islamist movements, Military, Political transition, Protests, Women's Rights
Report: Power Struggle Among Bahraini Royal Family
Patrick Cockburn writes that hardliners in the Bahraini royal family, including Khalifa bin Ahmed, and his brother, the Royal Court Minister, Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed, are working to marginalise Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad, seen as the most liberal ...
September 27, 2011
Category: Bahrain, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Elections, Featured, Freedom, Government, Gulf Cooperation Council, Political transition, Protests
Egypt: Parliamentary Poll Dates and Electoral Changes
Egypt's parliamentary elections will now be held on November 28th, the first since President Hosni Mubarak was ousted in February. "The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces has set November 28 as the start of the first stage of the parliamentary election, ...
September 27, 2011
Category: Egypt, Elections, Featured, Political Parties, Political transition, Protests, Public Opinion
U.S. Congressmen Pledge Support for Tunisia Election
David Dreier (R-CA) led a delegation to Tunisia to show support for the country's upcoming elections. David Price (D-NC), Gwen Moore (D-WI), and Keith Ellison (D-MN) were part of the delegation. Dreier said "they were here to encourage Tunisia, ...
September 27, 2011
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Category: Elections, Featured, Foreign Aid, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Political Islam, Political transition, Tunisia, US foreign policy
POMED Notes: “Rule of Law in Egypt: Challenges for Democracy”
Partners for a New Beginning hosted a panel discussion at the Aspen Institute on the rule of law in Egypt and the challenges Egyptian democracy is encountering, as it attempts to transition from its current state under a military-led council to a fully functioning parliamentary democracy. Hdeel Abdelhady, the co-founder of the Egyptian American Rule of Law Association, moderated the discussion. Panelists included Nathan Brown, professor of political science and ...
September 26, 2011
Category: DC Event Notes, Egypt, Elections, Event Notes, Foreign Aid, Freedom, Government, Muslim Brotherhood, Political Islam, Political Parties, Political transition, Public Opinion, Rule of Law
September 26, 2011
Category: Civil Society, Civil War, Elections, Featured, Freedom, Government, Political transition, Protests, Public Opinion, Yemen
“Real Threat in Egypt: Delayed Democracy”
In a Washington Post op-ed, Jackson Diehl discusses the fate of democracy in Egypt, suggesting that "elections are the most likely means of arresting the downward spiral." With a struggling tourist industry, and the prospect of Islamist elements taking ...
September 26, 2011
Category: Egypt, Elections, Featured, Freedom, Government, Media, Political transition, Reform, Rule of Law, Uncategorized
Bahrain: Second Round of Elections Set for Oct. 1
Bahrain will hold a second round of elections on October 1 to fill the 9 seats in which no candidate received fifty percent of the vote in Saturday's by-elections. Of the other seats, "four deputies were elected in the ...
Saleh Calls for Power Transfer
Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh called for a peaceful transfer of power through early parliamentary and presidential elections. Saleh urged his vice president to start engaging with Yemen's opposition in order to sign a transition deal, as he is committed ...
Saudi King Gives Women Right to Vote in 2015
King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud announced on Sunday that women will have the right to vote and stand in elections. However, women will not be able to participate in next week's elections, but have to wait until 2015 to exercise ...