North Africa

Tunisia’s Political Prospects

By Duncan Pickard

Consensus has characterized Tunisia’s transition to democracy. Ennahda, the self-styled Islamic party, governed in coalition with two secular parties. The National Dialogue, which made several important decisions about the stages of the transition, prompted Ennahda to agree to step down from power—a first for an Islamic party in the region—in favor of a technocratic government.

The Nour Party’s Dilemma

By Khaled Dawoud

An accusation leveled at strict Salafist groups in Egypt, especially among political Islamic parties, has been that they are keen to maintain good relations with any government in power in order to maintain their presence, particularly in the mosques where they preach. This was the case, in particular, under ousted President Hosni Mubarak. While armed […]

Egypt High Elections Committee Secretariat-General Announced

By EgyptSource

The President of the High Elections Committee (HEC) and the head of the Cairo Court of Appeals, Chancellor Ayman Abbas, issued a decision on Tuesday to form a secretariat general, comprised of 28 members representing the judiciary, public prosecutors, and various ministries and stakeholders in the electoral process for Egypt’s upcoming parliamentary elections.

Tunisia Calls For Support to Keep Hope Alive

Tunisia’s President Mohamed Moncef Marzouki made an impassioned appeal for reason and support in his speech at the Atlantic Council on August 5, 2014. Despite being a beacon for the promise of the Arab Spring, Tunisia nonetheless still struggles with extremism within and outside its borders.

‘If You Don’t Bet on Tunisia … You Can Say Goodbye to Democracy in the Arab World’

By The Atlantic Council

President Marzouki: US Should Embrace Moderate Islamists, Help Us Fight Extremists As Tunisia struggles to convert its 2011 Arab Spring revolution into stable democracy, the US and its allies frankly aren’t helping much, President Moncef Marzouki told the Atlantic Council. “The West gave more support to the dictatorship, because of so-called stability,” than it now […]

President Marzouki Urges US Policymakers to Stay Focused on Tunisia

By The Atlantic Council

The Atlantic Council hosted a private, high-level luncheon for His Excellency President Mohamed Moncef Marzouki to discuss the need for greater US and EU support for Tunisia’s transition. Among the participants were representatives from the US Congress, US Government agencies, international financial institutions, and private industry.