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MENASource

May 28, 2012

Official Election Results: Morsi and Shafik Advance to Runoff Round on June 16-17

By Mara Revkin

The Supreme Presidential Electoral Commission (SPEC) announced on May 28 that the Muslim Brotherhood’s candidate Mohamed Mursi and Hosni Mubarak’s former Prime Minsiter Ahmed Shafik will face off in the second round of Egypt’s presidential election, slated for June 16 and 17.   The SPEC announced the final vote count for the top five candidates from […]

MENASource

May 25, 2012

Voter Illiteracy a Hazard for Egypt’s Democratic Transition

By Shaimaa El Nazer

Since the end of the unforgettable 18-day stand-off in Tahrir square, the majority of Egyptians have viewed the revolution decapitating a corrupt regime whose leader and immediate inner circle spoiled the political system by prioritizing their own individual interests over those of the Egyptian people. But this overly simplistic understanding of the former regime fails […]

MENASource

May 25, 2012

Egypt’s Second Republic: A Challenging Prize for the Next President

By Merit Al-Sayed

The year 2011 has been extraordinary not just for the tectonic shift in the region’s political structures, but also the extraordinary pressures and opportunities faced by many regional economies. With four dictators ousted – including one dead and many others were shaken to the core – the aftershocks will no doubt continue to reverberate in […]

MENASource

May 25, 2012

Top News: Early Results Show Morsi in the Lead, Followed by Shafik

By Tarek Radwan

Al-Masry Al-Youm reports the results of counting in 24 governorates, in which Morsy is in first place, followed by Shafiq. 

MENASource

May 24, 2012

Egypt’s Fragmented Electorate Sheds Light on Runoff Scenarios

By Haitham Tabei

Fifty million Egyptians voters went to the polls on May 23 and 24 to elect the first president since Hosni Mubarak’s ouster. This will be the first presidential election in Egypt’s recent history in which voters cast their ballots without knowing the result in advance, but experts predict that one outcome is inevitable: Voting will […]

MENASource

May 24, 2012

Voting is Over; What Next?

By Michele Dunne

The first round of Egypt’s presidential election ended on May 24 with a voter turnout somewhat less impressive than expected, but apparently similar to the 50-60 percent turnout in the parliamentary elections six months ago.  While there were some violations of the law—campaigning on voting day, attempting to influence voters inside polling places, vote buying—so […]

MENASource

May 24, 2012

Will the Presidential Election Bring Stability to Egypt?

By Magdy Samaan

For three weeks Egypt has witnessed presidential campaigning, rallies, debates, and the rest of the paraphernalia of electoral politics. It has seemed as if Egypt is turning from authoritarianism to democracy, but a close look at the process suggests that it continues to be a virtual simulation, lacking the essence of the democratic process. There […]

MENASource

May 24, 2012

U.S. Senate Approves $5 Million Aid Cut to Egypt For NGO Workers’ Bail

By Tarek Radwan

US senators subtracted $5 million from aid provided to Egypt on Wednesday, to reimburse the US Treasury for money it paid to bail out American pro-democracy activists facing charges there earlier this year.  

MENASource

May 23, 2012

Egypt’s Presidential Candidates Envision New Regional Role and Foreign Policy

By Mustafa El-Labbad

In the days leading up to the presidential election, political debates in Egypt have focused disproportionately on domestic issues. Voters and candidates have sidestepped concerns over Egypt’s regional role and strategic interests and the avoidance of these issues has resulted in a great deal of uncertainty surrounding the trajectory of foreign policy after the revolution. […]

MENASource

May 23, 2012

Massive Turnout Expected as Polling Begins, with Minor Violations Reported

By Tarek Radwan

Millions of Egyptians head to polling stations across the country Wednesday to cast their ballots in Egypt’s first genuine multi-candidate presidential election. By most accounts, 30-40 million citizens (60–75 per cent of eligible voters) are expected to head to the polls on Wednesday out of a total of 53 million eligible voters.