MENASource

Constituent Assembly’s Legitimacy Crisis Could Jeopardize Transition

By Salem Mostafa Kamel

 Political conflict is brewing as Islamist and liberal political forces face off over the formation of the 100 member constituent assembly that will write Egypt’s next constitution. But only a few days after its formation, the committee’s legitimacy is already wearing paper-thin, with at least twelve prominent liberal, leftist and female members resigning in protest […]

Top News: Islamists Dominate Constituent Assembly

By Mara Revkin

Both houses of parliament convened on March 24 to elect the 100-member constituent, which will hold its first meeting on March 28. The list of members includes 50 current MPs and 50 member chosen from outside parliament. At least 65 seats on the assembly will be taken by Islamists.

A Year After the Constitutional Referendum: Authoritarianism and Egypt’s Murky Future عام علي الاستفتاء الدستوري .. السلطوية ومس

By Amr Bakly

A year after the Egyptians voted overwhelmingly to approve the SCAF-drafted amendments of some articles of the constitution, few did know that the outcome of the referendum would jeopardize the future of the revolution, extinguishing the embers of the Arab spring – which is now turning into an Islamic winter, as described by Israeli Prime […]

Top News: Mubarak VP to Run for Presidency

By Mara Revkin

Omar Suleiman, Egypt’s former intelligence chief who briefly served as Mubarak’s vice president in the early days of the uprising, has reportedly decided to run for the presidency. Supporters of former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq are defecting from his campaign to back Suleiman.

U.S. Resumes Military Aid Despite Rights Concerns

By Mara Revkin

The State Department has formally released $1.3 billion in military aid to Egypt despite the SCAF’s failure to meet pro-democracy goals, using a national security waver to sidestep congressional conditions requiring respect for human rights and support for a transfer of power to an elected civilian government. In a statement ironically entitled, "U.S. Support for […]

Making a Mistake with Egypt

By Michele Dunne

As expected, Secretary Clinton used a national security waiver to override congressional conditions on military aid to Egypt on March 23, repeating a foreign policy mistake the Obama administration has made before: staking out a principled position in rhetoric and then backing down from it the moment the going gets tough.

Rethinking US Relations with a Changing Egypt

By Michele Dunne

With Egypt in the midst of a political transition, this is a crucial time to rethink the relationship between the United States and Egypt, as I argue in my latest policy brief for the Project on Middle East Democracy. Although the events of the January 2011 revolution and the ensuing months of political transition have shown […]

Top News: Brotherhood Reconsidering Presidential Run

By Mara Revkin

The Muslim Brotherhood announced that it is considering running its own candidate in upcoming presidential elections, dropping its previous decision to refrain from direct participation in the race.

Top News: Islamists Poised to Dominate Constituent Assembly

By Mara Revkin

Top News: Brotherhood and Salafis Split Over Cabinet Vote

By Mara Revkin