June 9, 2012
Category: Articles, Egypt, Elections, Featured, Muslim Brotherhood, Political transition
Judicial Recommendations Potentially Disqualify Shafiq, Parliamentary Election Law
The commissioners of Egypt's Supreme Constitutional Court (SCC) recommended that the court invalidate the Presidential Electoral Commissions' referral of the Political Isolation Law. If the SCC accepts the recommendation, current presidential candidate and former Prime Minister during the Mubarak regime ...
Cairo Institute for Human Rights 2011 Report Released
The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies released their annual report on human rights in the Arab world this week. The report analyzed the state of human rights in twelve Arab countries, and this year noted the ...
Thousands Rally for Fourth Night to Protest Shafiq
Thousands of protesters rallied in Tahrir Square for the fourth consecutive night to protest the presidential candidacy of Ahmed Shafiq. Led by two defeated candidates from the first round, the protesters marched to the square from several locations in ...
POMED Notes: “U.S. Policy on Egypt’s Transition”
On Tuesday, the Center for American Progress hosted a special presentation entitled, “U.S. Policy on Egypt’s Transition.” The event was introduced by Rudy deLeon, Senior Vice President of National Security and International Policy at the Center for American Progress, and consisted of two panels. The first featured a Q&A session with Ambassador Frank Wisner, and was moderated by Bryan Katulis, a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress. The ...
Egyptians Respond to Verdicts, NGOs Still Under Scrutiny
The Associated Press reported Sunday on the scope of U.S. democracy aid to Egypt during the past year. Last October several Egyptians resigned from their positions with the International Republican Institute in protest of what they called undemocratic practices, such ...
World Reacts to Mubarak Verdict
A court in Cairo sentenced former President Hosni Mubarak and former Interior Minister Habib al-Adley to life in prison Saturday for failing to prevent the deaths of demonstrators during last year's revolution. However, Mubarak's sons Gamal and Alaa, along with ...
June 2, 2012
Category: Articles, Egypt, Elections, Featured, Muslim Brotherhood, Protests, Uncategorized
“The Economic Agenda of the Islamist Parties”
In a piece titled "The Economic Agenda of the Islamist Parties," Ibrahim Saif, Senior Associate at the Carnegie Middle East Center, writes that Islamist parties are going to be increasingly powerful in the Arab world. They are also going to face major economic problems, exacerbated by the political instability of the past year. Ennahda in Tunisia, the Islamic Action Front in Jordan, the Freedom and Justice Party in Egypt, and ...
Egypt’s Emergency Law Expires, Protests Continue
Egypt's emergency law expired Thursday, the Washington Post reported. Heba Morayef of Human Rights Watch stated, however, that at least 188 people remain detained who theoretically should be free now that the law has expired. At Thursday's State Department press briefing ...
June 1, 2012
Category: Egypt, Elections, Featured, Presidential Candidates, Protests, US foreign policy
POMED Notes: “Egyptian Elections, Round One”
On Thursday, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Al-Monitor hosted a discussion titled “Egyptian Elections, Round One.” The event featured Michael Wahid Hanna, a fellow at the Century Foundation; Samer Shehata, a professor of comparative and Middle East politics and U.S. policy toward the Middle East at Georgetown University; and Marina Ottaway, a Senior Associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Barbara Slavin, Washington correspondent for Al-Monitor, moderated ...
Pessimism and Concern Surround Potential Egypt Election Outcome
Reuters reported that voters were "dismayed at what many see as a painful second-round choice between an Islamist apparatchik and a throwback to Hosni Mubarak's era." The two remaining candidates are Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Mursi and former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq. Hamdin Sabbahi, ...
May 27, 2012
Category: Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Elections, Featured, Foreign Aid, Islam and Democracy, Muslim Brotherhood, Political Islam, Political transition, US foreign policy
Dept of State: Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2011
The U.S. Department of State released its annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2011. Particular emphasis was placed on the Middle East and North Africa, where developments in the Arab Spring led to significant changes in ...
Commentators Examine Egypt’s Presidential Election
Marc Lynch writes that, despite what Nathan Brown terms “the stupidest transition in history,” the ruling military council has done the most important thing right - it has remained committed to transferring power to an elected government on schedule. ...
Egypt Presidential Poll Hours Extended
As the second day of Egypt's presidential elections continues, authorities have reportedly extended voting hours by two hours. Head of the Supreme Presidential Electoral Commission Sultan Farouk announced on Al-Hayat TV that voting will be extended to 9pm, the same ...
Analysts Weigh In as Egyptians Head to Polls
Today marked the beginning of Egypt's first post-Mubarak presidential election, and the first round will conclude Thursday evening. Fifty million people are eligible to cast their votes, and turnout was expected to be high. Many voters had already formed lines ...
May 22, 2012
4 comments
Category: Congress, Congressional Hearing Notes (Senate), Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Featured, Foreign Aid, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Legislation, Syria, Tunisia, US foreign policy
POMED Notes: “Egypt’s Presidential Election and Public Opinion: What do Egyptians Want?”
On Monday, The Brookings Institution hosted an event titled, “Egypt’s Presidential Election and Public Opinion: What do Egyptians Want?” The event started with Shibley Telhami, nonresident scholar at The Brookings Institution and the Anwar Sadat professor at the University of Maryland, released a public opinion poll asking Egyptians about their preferences in the upcoming Egyptian presidential election. There was a discussion afterwards moderated by Daniel Byman, senior fellow and director of ...
POMED Notes: “The Arab Spring: Getting it Right”
On May 3rd, the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID) hosted its 13th Annual Conference entitled, "The Arab Spring: Getting it Right." The conference featured a series of four panels, and a set of luncheon and concluding keynote addresses. For full event notes, continue reading below or click here for the PDF. Panel 1 – Getting it Right: Elements of Successful Democratic Transitions The first panel of the 13th Annual ...
May 21, 2012
Category: Algeria, Civil Society, Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Event Notes, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Libya, Political Islam, Reform, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, US foreign policy, Youth
Summary and Highlights of the FY13 House State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill
On Thursday (5/17), the House Appropriations Committee approved the fiscal year 2013 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill. According to a committee press release, the bill totals $40.1 billion in regular discretionary funding, which is $2 billion or 5 ...
May 21, 2012
Category: Bahrain, Civil Society, Congress, Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Featured, Foreign Aid, Human Rights, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Legislation, Libya, Morocco, NGOs, Oman, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, UN Human Rights Council, US foreign policy, Women, Yemen
POMED Notes: “Threats to Civil Society and Human Rights Defenders Worldwide – Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Hearing”
On Thursday, the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission held a hearing on threats and restrictions faced by human rights defenders and civil society. Congressman James McGovern (D-MA) chaired the hearing. Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN) was also present. Panel one featured Michael Posner, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor at the State Department, Donald Steinberg, Deputy Administrator at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Tomicah Tilleman, ...
May 20, 2012
Category: Bahrain, Civil Society, Committee Meetings, Congressional Hearing Notes (House), Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Human Rights, NGOs, US foreign policy