Elections

The Gulf and Egypt: From Life Support to a Sustainable Economy?

By Richard LeBaron

With the election of former army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as Egypt’s eighth president, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait are likely to continue to provide substantial economic support for Egypt. In the aftermath of the elections, news reports indicate large aid packages are under discussion. The Gulf may add up to another […]

Egypt and the Return of the ‘Old Time Religion’

By Maged Atiya

Posters featuring former Defense Minister and president elect Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and both Coptic Pope Tawadros II and Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayyeb of Al-Azhar are not uncommon in Egypt, offered both in praise and in condemnation. In praise, they attempt to burnish Sisi’s legitimacy as a man uniting all of Egypt and bridging the religious divide. […]

Elections, Elections Everywhere and Not a Democracy in Sight

By Adam Simpson

The United States, the European Union, and the United Nations all affirm their intention to facilitate democratic transition in the Middle East and North Africa. Despite this claim and in the face of deeply flawed elections, they remain married to political niceties and empty diplomatic rhetoric.

An IMF Program for Egypt Finally?

By Mohsin Khan

With the election of Abdel Fattah al-Sisi the prospects of an Egyptian agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a program have brightened.

Afghan Leader Ashraf Ghani: Obama Pullout Plan Poses New Challenge

Ashraf Ghani, the former World Bank official who is one of two candidates in the June 14 presidential runoff election, said that President Obama’s West Point speech this week on foreign policy sharply compresses the time available for US troops to complete their mentoring of Afghan security forces. President Obama’s “West Point speech telescopes a […]

Egypt, the Election, and Sectarian Analysis

By Jayson Casper

One day before the beginning of presidential elections, the Egyptian Center for Media Studies and Public Opinion (ECMSPO) published the results of a counterintuitive poll. Based on personal interviews with 10,524 citizens throughout Egypt’s governorates, they predicted a turnout of only 10 percent.