Algeria Maintains Ban on Islamist Party
On Tuesday, Algeria's national assembly voted to continue the ban on the main Islamist party, the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS). The vote will maintain the two decade old ban, as parliamentarians debated proposals for a new electoral law. ...
Egypt: Military Grants PM Extra Power
Al Jazeera English reported on Tuesday that the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) will grant Prime Minister Kamal el-Ganzouri extra powers through a constitutional amendment. Ganzouri stated that the SCAF "would issue a decree within hours to hand him ...
Egypt: High Voter Turnout; MB Won’t Impose Islamic Values
Abdul Moez Ibrahim, the head of the Egyptian supreme election committee, told a news conference on Friday that voter turnout for the first round of elections was 62 percent, and added "it is the highest voter turnout since ...
Analysis: “Why Islamists Won’t Win (Even If They Do)”
As'ad AbuKhalil, writing for Alakhbar English, argues that the success of Islamist political parties is "the dominant story," but the coverage is not mentioning that these parties "have been organized for decades while some leftists and liberals ...
Analysis: Egypt’s First Day of Voting
Sherif Tarek writes at AhramOnline that Egypt's first round of voting in parliamentary elections on Monday took place with few violations. Despite the violence and upheaval that raged in Tahrir for the week preceding the elections, polling stations ...
“Morocco’s New Elections: Just Like the Old Elections?”
POMED Senior Research Associate Daphne McCurdy analyzes the political landscape in Morocco through the lens of last week's parliamentary elections. McCurdy, in an article for Foreign Policy, contends that "the current path of reform initiated by the monarchy is ...
Ex-NDP Party Members Permitted to Run in Egypt
Egypt's supreme administrative court has ruled that former members of the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) will be permitted to run in upcoming parliamentary elections. After weeks of speculation on the status of the NDP, the party of ...
Libya Assures Ex-PM of Fair Trial
NTC Chairman Mustafa Abdel Jalil stated that Libya's former prime minister Baghdadi al-Mahmudi will get a "fair trial" when he is extradited from Tunisia. "First of all we will ensure a secure place for him, then we will guarantee a fair trial, ...
Clinton Addresses U.S. Stance, Role in Arab Spring
Speaking at a National Democratic Institute dinner honoring activists for democracy and human rights, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton discussed foreign policy in the wake of the Arab Spring. Clinton suggested that "the greatest single source of instability in today’s ...
POMED Notes: “After Tunisia’s Election”
On Wednesday, the Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS) at George Washington University hosted a panel discussion entitled "After Tunisia's Election" to assess the results of Tunisia's October 23 elections and their implications for the nation moving forward. Melani Cammett of Brown University, Chris Alexander of Davidson College, and John P. Entelis of Fordham University offered remarks. POMEPS Director Marc Lynch moderated the event. For full event notes, continue reading. ...
Tunisia:The Role of Women in the New Political Order?
Former Congresswoman Jane Harmon applauds Tunisia on successful completion of its Constituent Assembly elections and discusses the role of women in Tunisia's elections and the new political system. Harmon stated that "it is imperative that the United States signal its strong support for the new government in Tunisia and in doing so make clear its support for strong roles for women and others." In another New York Times op-ed, Monica Marks, writes about what the ...
Tunisia: Polls Show Ennahda Leads, Liberals Runners-Up
Supporters of the Islamist party Ennahda gathered outside of the party's headquarters in Tunis to celebrate what they are calling a victory in Tunisia's first elections. The crowd chanted "The people are Muslim", "We will not surrender", and "No to atheism". ...
High Voter Turnout Reported in Tunisia’s First Elections
Sunday marked Tunisia's first democratic elections, nine months after President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali was ousted, ending decades of authoritarian rule. Representing 80 political parties, over 11,000 candidates are running in the elections, with over several thousand running ...
Tunisians Prepare to Head to the Polls
Tunisians prepare for upcoming elections as campaigning closes on Friday, two days before their first democratic elections. Nine months after President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was ousted, the once banned Islamist party, Ennahda, is poised to "dominate," the upcoming ...
POMED Notes: “The Coptic Winter: What Does the Massacre at Maspero Mean for Egypt’s Christians?”
On Wednesday, the Hudson Institute hosted a panel discussion entitled “The Coptic Winter: What Does the Massacre at Maspero Mean for Egypt’s Christians?” The panelists included Eric Trager, Ira Weiner Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and Samuel Tadros and Kurt Werthmuller, research fellows at the Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom. The discussion was moderated by Nina Shea, director of the Center for Religious Freedom. For full ...
POMED Notes: “Tunisia, Act 2″
On Monday, SAIS hosted numerous panelists to discuss the upcoming free elections in Tunisia, the “Arab Spring” in general, and what panelists saw next for Tunisia. Kurt Volker, managing director of Center for Transatlantic Relations (CTR) moderated the panel discussion, which included: Mohamed Salah Tekaya, Tunisian ambassador to the United States, Tamara Wittes, deputy assistant secretary for Near Eastern Affairs and deputy special coordinator for Middle East Transitions at the ...
Tunisia: Optimism Expressed About Elections
As Tunisia's historic elections quickly approach, the international community has shown signs of optimism regarding the electoral process and outcomes. Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) wrote in the Wall Street Journal that "although overshadowed by other events in the region, Tunisia's ...