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MENASource

Dec 11, 2014

Top News: Congress Expected to Adopt Bill Allowing Obama to Reopen Military Aid to Egypt

By EgyptSource

The long-term spending bill that Congress is expected to adopt this week would allow the State Department to resume military aid to Egypt despite ongoing concerns with the country’s human rights record.

North Africa Political Reform

MENASource

Jan 28, 2014

The Collapse of the Phrase ‘Constitutional Pragmatism’

By Amr Hamzawy

Some of the political groups, parties and public personalities that raised the banner of democracy and supported the constitutional draft issued by the appointed Committee of 50 worked to encourage participation in the recent referendum, calling on citizens to vote ‘yes.’ As part of this campaign, they employed a hollow and misleading phrase: ‘constitutional pragmatism.’

North Africa Political Reform

MENASource

Jan 21, 2014

Reflections on a Referendum

By Tarek Radwan and Lara Talverdian

As Egyptians took to the polls for their third constitutional referendum in three years, many observers have questioned the legitimacy and inclusiveness in the repressive context gripping Egypt’s politics today. The atmosphere in Egypt during this period was nothing short of passive intimidation. Soldiers, police, and in some instances intelligence personnel patrolled the polling centers. […]

North Africa Political Reform

MENASource

Jan 18, 2014

Official Results: 98.1 Percent Vote in Favor of Egypt’s New Constitution with 38.6 Percent Voter Turnout

By EgyptSource

Several days after polling stations closed on January 15, the High Elections Commission announced the results of the 2014 constitutional referendum, which took place over a period of two days. On January 18, Nabil Salib, head of the High Elections Commission announced voter turnout, and the number of votes in favor and against the constitution. 

North Africa Political Reform

MENASource

Jan 17, 2014

Known Unknown: Why the Egyptian Referendum is a Black Box

By Matthew Hall

Voting for the Egyptian Constitutional referendum concluded Wednesday but it will be impossible to learn the actual outcome. Yes, on Saturday the High Electoral Commission will announce the official results, but the severely limited state of domestic and international electoral observation precludes independent verification of government assertions. This is a serious concern for an election […]

North Africa Political Reform
REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany

New Atlanticist

Jan 17, 2014

Egypt’s Constitutional Vote: Not a Free Pass for Army Rule

By New Atlanticist

Last week’s constitutional referendum in Egypt yielded a lop-sided result that recalls the non-democratic elections of the decades before the Arab Spring of 2011. Election officials say 98 percent of voters approved the constitution proposed by the military-backed government. Egyptian lawyer Hafsa Halawa cautions against a conventional wisdom that sees this result as a success […]

North Africa Political Reform

MENASource

Jan 16, 2014

Misreading Egypt’s Referendum

By Maged Atiya

As soon as polls closed on January 15 2014, after two days of voting on amendments to the 2012 Egyptian constitution, it was clear that approval was guaranteed by an overwhelming margin well above 90 percent. The final margin was in fact close to 98 percent. This was the occasion for many commentators and scholars, […]

North Africa Political Reform

MENASource

Jan 16, 2014

Egypt’s Referendum: Calculated Choices Betting on a Better Future

By Hafsa Halawa

Over the past two days Egyptians have gone back to the polls to vote on their third constitutional referendum in as many years.  There has much written about the flaws of the document itself, similar in context and content to the criticism of the December 2012 constitution and the earlier March 2011 constitutional declaration, yet […]

North Africa Political Reform

MENASource

Jan 15, 2014

Egypt’s Constitutional Referendum [Liveblog January 15]

By EgyptSource

With polling stations opening across Egypt and voting underway for the second day in the constitutional referendum, keep up with live updates on EgyptSource here

North Africa Political Reform

MENASource

Jan 14, 2014

Dispatch from Cairo: Day One of the Constitutional Referendum

By Tom Dale

In the first day of voting in a constitutional referendum, Egyptians queuing outside polling stations seemed to endorse, as much as the constitutional document itself, the leadership of army chief General Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, who is now widely expected to stand for the presidency in the coming months.

North Africa Political Reform
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Experts

Staff

Elise Baker

Senior Staff Lawyer, Strategic Litigation Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Civil Society Extremism

Fellow

Alia Brahimi

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Civil Society

Fellow

Kelley E. Currie

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Freedom and Prosperity Center Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Human Rights Indo-Pacific

Staff

Aleksander Cwalina

Assistant Director

Eurasia Center

Eastern Europe Europe & Eurasia

Staff

Andrew D’Anieri

Associate Director

Eurasia Center

Ukraine Political Reform

Millennium fellow

David Dorosz

Deputy Mayor of Budapest for Climate and Development, City of Budapest

Millennium Leadership Program

Central Europe Climate Change & Climate Action
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