Publications

Expert Comments available here.

Datesort descending Title
Dec 22 2011
Egypt

Bárbara Azaola, lecturer at the Faculty of Humanities and researcher at Toledo School of Translators, University of Castilla La Mancha, specialized in contemporary Egypt, monitored the first round of the Egyptian legislative elections in situ (November 28th and 29th). Rafael Bustos, OPEMAM, conducted the following interview.

Jan 12 2012
Oman

Oman’s Consultative Council elections were the third with universal suffrage to be held in the country, after those of 2003 and 2007. They took place following popular protests earlier in the year - the widest the Sultanate had experienced since the end of the Dhofar war in the 1970s. In a country where political associations are banned and civil society is notably less organised than in Bahrain or Kuwait, the ‘Omani Spring' was marked by the death of two protesters in the Northern town of Sohar in February and April.

Jan 25 2012
Kuwait

The Kuwaiti National Assembly (NA) is composed of 50 members, elected by universal suffrage, and since 2006 with women participating as both voters and candidates. The NA has been suspended constitutionally (and unconstitutionally) on several occasions since 1963, and did not function on a regular basis until 1992, after the occupation of the country by Iraq and the following restoration of Kuwaiti sovereignty. Disagreement between MPs and Ministers has been constant in Kuwaiti politics and has caused 4 suspensions of the NA and consecutive legislative elections in the last 6 years.

Jan 25 2012
Kyrgyzstan
When Kyrgyzstan held its last presidential elections in July 2009, former President Bakiyev's authoritarian tendencies were at their height and he manoeuvred to neutralise any uncertainty around the final result. Such was the certainty that the Central Electoral Commission would name Bakiyev the winner that the main opposition candidate Almazbek Atambayev withdrew his candidature before the polling stations had even closed, condemning the multiple irregularities that had tarnished the process.
Feb 25 2012
Yemen

February 21st, election day in Yemen, was a day of contrasts. Many Yemenis expressed their euphoria on emerging from polling stations, proudly revealing the finger stamped in ink that proved they had taken part, whereas in cities such as Aden or Al Muqalla tension was high throughout the day. Confrontations were reported between security forces and armed factions opposed to the elections, with a total of seven dead and some 50 percent of voting stations closed in the provinces of Aden and Saada.

Sep 03 2012
Algeria
The “Arab Springs” which commenced in Tunisia in late 2010 and extended to Egypt and Libya through the early months of 2011 also resonated in Algeria. Throughout January 2011 and to a lesser degree the whole first quarter of the year, there was significant turmoil in cities across the country. Teenagers shrouded intifadah-style in scarves, hurled stones at riot police and attacked public property whilst demanding sugar and other basic food products whose prices had rocketed supposedly due to bottlenecks in supply and distribution.
 
Jan 19 2013
Israel
Israeli elections will be held on Tuesday January 22nd. Bearing in mind Benjamin Netanyahu is likely to be re-elected prime minister, all attention is focused on the possible changes to the composition of the parliament and therefore on the new partners in government.
Jan 26 2013
Jordan

Two very different elections took place in Jordan on Wednesday.

Apr 15 2013
Israel

On 22 January 2013 Israel held legislative elections, nine months ahead of schedule. They were brought forward after the government foresaw that it would fail to obtain parliamentary backing for the 2013 budget. However, the fact that prime minister called the elections in October 2012, long before the March deadline for the budget to be passed, gave rise to other interpretations.

May 05 2013
Pakistan

A number of recent developments make the 11 May elections currently under preparation in Pakistan a historic occasion. For the first time in its history, a government has managed to complete its term. It has taken 66 years for a government elected at the ballot box to do so – though not without constant fears of direct or indirect military intervention.

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