Al-Jazeera on Political Reform in Egypt
September 30th, 2008 by Jason
The Arabist links to a great al-Jazeera English special(video) on political reform in Egypt. The report talks about the political apathy pervading much of Egyptian society, as the regime has successfully “resharpened its tools as a police state.” It also includes a panel discussion on the failure of reform in the judiciary and the security apparatus, the succession of Gamal, and also on America’s role, or lack thereof, in supporting democratization.
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Human Rights, Judiciary, Reform, US foreign policy | Comment »
Libya: Libertarian Paradise
September 17th, 2008 by Jason
Libya is about to take a sharp turn from totalitarian hell to libertarian paradise. The Financial Times reports that Muammer Gaddafi, eccentric as ever, has decided that most government ministries will be completely disbanded. Oil wealth will be distributed directly to the people, leaving them to organize and manage the economy themselves. By the beginning of the year, the only institutions remaining will be security, defense, foreign affairs, and energy.
Healthcare? Education? Potholes? The Colonel has an answer: “Each one of you, prepare to take his portion of the wealth and spend it as you wish.”
Before Ron Paul runs out to get his visa, FT prudently reminds us that, “Mr. Gaddafi has a habit of announcing big decisions, then reversing them.”
Posted in Libya, Reform | Comment »
Peace and Reform in the ‘Arab Center’
September 15th, 2008 by Jason
In the Daily Star, Rami Khouri reviews Marwan Muasher’s new book The Arab Center: The Promise of Moderation. Muasher writes about the two core failures of the Arab ‘center’ (Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia) this decade: to successfully engage the U.S. and Israel in making peace; and successfully undertaking Arab political, economic, and social reform. Khouri echoes Muasher’s call for peace and reform to move forward together, with consistent and sustained support from the U.S.
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Jordan, Reform, Saudi Arabia, US foreign policy | Comment »
Revising the Rentier Theory
September 15th, 2008 by Sarah
Brian Ulrich at American Footprints comments on Riad al-Khouri’s call for a revision of the rentier state theory fashioned after Kuwait’s qualified progress toward democracy. Al- Khouri states that “while unruly and sometimes embarrassing, Kuwait’s experience offers an example of what could be a future model for politics in a rentier state.”
Ulrich notes that “it seems likely that the historic lack of political liberalization isn’t tied to the fact that Gulf governments don’t extract tax revenue from their citizens, but that said citizens haven’t historically made agitation for political reform a priority.”
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Kuwait, Oil, Reform | Comment »
Viva La (Pre-) Revolucion
September 12th, 2008 by Jason
The Economist talks about the palpable pre-revolutionary atmosphere prevailing in Egypt today. It finds the factory strikes, land disputes, food riots, inflation, wealth disparity, and brutal governmental repression to be redolent of the Egypt of 1952. The article also analyzes the impending succession crisis, the Egyptian-American relationship, and the prospects of the Muslim Brotherhood.
“The fact is that most of Egypt’s 75m people struggle to get by, their ambitions thwarted by rising prices, appalling state schools, capricious judges, a plodding and corrupt bureaucracy and a cronyist regime that pretends democracy but in fact crushes all challengers and excludes all participation.”
Posted in Egypt, Muslim Brotherhood, Reform, US foreign policy | Comment »
Michele Dunne on Libya
September 4th, 2008 by Jason
Michele Dunne, in a commentary for the Carnegie Endowment, urges the United States to not fall into complacency after its recent diplomatic successes with Libya. Dunne argues that the U.S. should not be satisfied with merely normalizing relations with Libya, and instead use its growing influence to press the long-isolated nation on human rights abuses, as well as encourage and support reform in Libyan civil society and education.
Posted in Diplomacy, Human Rights, Libya, Reform | Comment »
Patience in Pakistan
August 28th, 2008 by Adam
In the International Herald Tribune, Hassan Abbas writes that in order to strengthen Pakistan’s transition to democracy in the wake of the resignation by Pervez Musharraf the West must consistently support democratic reform and demonstrate patience about its pace. He says since Pakistan faces daunting challenges, including reinstating the judiciary, unrest in the tribal areas, and economic stagnation, the West cannot lose patience with the civilian government. Abbas concludes, “Pakistan can indeed be rescued from a further slide into chaos, and its democratic institutions are better placed to tackle this situation than any dictatorship. But this can only happen if the West supports democracy and patience.”
Posted in Pakistan, Reform, US foreign policy | Comment »
Book Review: Dreams and Shadows: The Future of the Middle East
August 27th, 2008 by Adam
In the American Interest, Scott Carpenter has a review of Robin Wright’s Dreams and Shadows: The Future of the Middle East. Wright looks at the future of the struggle for political reform in the Middle East. According to Carpenter, the three issues that this political struggle will resolve is the renewal of a social contract between governments and their people, reconciliation of women’s rights and Islam, and the integration of Islamists into the political sphere. Overall, Carpenter gives the book a positive review saying, “The next president would therefore do well to read Dreams and Shadows to understand the aspirations of Middle Eastern liberals and moderates, and the opponents they face.”
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Reform | Comment »
On Arab Dictatorships
August 27th, 2008 by Adam
Khalil Al-Anani writes in the Daily News Egypt that the nature of authoritarian regimes in the Arab world differs from authoritarian systems in other countries in that Arab regimes exacerbate the economic and social conditions that lead to sectarianism and instability. Al-Aanani says that Arab authoritarian states lack institutions to defuse social tensions and grant the government legitimacy, and rely on coercive force. This tendency, according to Al-Anani, causes, “…political arrogance, economic injustice and social oppression, thus leading to tension between different classes and increasing rates of instability.”
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Reform | Comment »
Change in the Gulf
August 27th, 2008 by Adam
Rami Khouri in the Daily Star examines the Gulf region and its unique combination of economic success (oil money has helped these countries build cities at break-neck speed) and political stalemate (marked by few civil society organizations and impotent legislatures). As its Arab neighbors suffer from “increasingly serious political violence, ethnic and sectarian tensions, corruption, mismanagement, and rickety states,” “the implications of the growing gap between the Gulf Arabs and the rest of the Arabs are unclear, but probably will be consequential.”
Posted in Gulf, Oil, Reform | Comment »
Egypt: Post-Mubarak
August 25th, 2008 by Adam
In the American Interest, Michele Dunne examines the various scenarios that could emerge once Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak leaves office. Dunne suggests the U.S. play a hands-off role in the actual succession process, and actively work with the new leader in improving the U.S.-Egypt relationship. She suggests that the U.S. urge Mubarak’s successor to re-institute presidential term limits and reform the security services in order to open up the political realm and avoid social and economic stagnation.
Posted in Egypt, Reform, US foreign policy | Comment »
POMED Notes: “Managing Pakistan’s Transition”
August 21st, 2008 by Adam
Yesterday, the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) held a discussion session with Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Husain Haqqani. The discussion focused on Pakistan’s political transition to a democratic system in the wake of the resignation by former President Pervez Musharraf. The discussion was moderated by Ambassador Teresita C. Schaffer, Director of CSIS’ South Asia Program and Frederick Barton, Director of the Post Conflict Reconstruction Project at CSIS.
For POMED’s complete notes on the discussion, click here.
Posted in DC Event Notes, Pakistan, Reform | Comment »
Pakistan Without Musharraf
August 20th, 2008 by Sarah
An editorial in the L.A. Times lauds Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf’s decision to resign earlier this week, but questions whether Asif Ali Zardari or Nawaz Sharif have “the expertise to cope with the country’s most daunting challenges — runaway inflation, religious extremism and ongoing conflict with India.” Despite this, the editorial remains hopeful. “Democracy can and will work even in parts of the world where so far it has seemed a dismal failure. All it takes is a little patience; Pakistan’s people and army just need to provide it.”
On the other hand, Syed Saleem Shahzad at Asia Times Online reports on yesterday’s Taliban attacks in Afghanistan, claiming that the Taliban seized upon Musharraf’s resignation and the power vacuum it created in the country. Pakistan “is clearly a government of disunity, destined to endless feuding and paralysis - a situation militants will exploit to the full, as they have since Musharraf shed his uniform last November.”
Likewise, William B. Milam in the Daily Times (Pakistan) compares Musharraf’s resignation to the ending of Casalanca, where the key players made sacrifices to a “greater good.” Miliam, however, “doubts it will be sufficient for Pakistan to overcome its existential crisis.”
Meanwhile, Peter Wonacott and Zahid Hussain in the Wall Street Journal reports that Pakistan’s civilian government hit a snag after the PPP asked to review the issue of restoring the judges dismissed by Musharraf. Xenia Dormandy, a South Asia scholar at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government predicts that the infighting will worsen. “I’d be stunned if the current coalition lasted to next fall.”
Posted in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Reform, Taliban, Terrorism | Comment »
Letter From A Cairo Jail
August 14th, 2008 by Adam
In a letter to Senator Barack Obama from Tura Prison near Cairo, former MP and political prisoner Ayman Nour calls on the Senator to “…lead the world towards real freedom and justice,” and reach out to reformers in Egypt and the Middle East. Nour also states that, “Both Reform advocates and prisoners of opinion and conscience in Egypt, Syria, Palestine and other countries, are expecting your consistent support of their rights to life, freedom, and change.” Nour, a candidate in Egypt’s 2005 Presidential election, has been imprisoned in Egypt since 2005 on politically motivated charges meant to silence his calls for political reform.
To read the Arabic language version of Nour’s letter, click here.
Posted in Egypt, Election 08, Human Rights, Reform | Comment »
