NDI - Middle East and North Africa

In Jordan, Al-Hayat Addresses Youth Apathy in Political Process

fgalleto — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 14:24:40 +0000

To encourage young Jordanians to participate in politics, the Al-Hayat Center for Civil Society Development has launched a campaign focused on engaging and registering young voters for Nov. 9 parliamentary elections. The campaign is based in part on the findings of a survey conducted by Al-Hayat, in partnership with NDI, designed to uncover young people's attitudes toward political involvement and specifically their experiences in the previous election in 2007.

More than 65 percent of Jordanians are under the age of 30, and 43 percent of potential voters are 18 to 25. Those demographics carry the potential for accelerated political reform, provided the country's young people, who have historically been excluded from the political process, decide to make their voices heard.

The survey sampled 2,100 Jordanians between the ages of 18 and 30 from the country's 12 governorates. The participants also represented a cross section of education levels, marital statuses, professional sectors and sexes. The survey asked questions about difficulties encountered at polling stations, efficacy of campaign literature and advertisements, and respondents' overall confidence in the role of parliament. It also asked the young people to estimate their anticipated level of participation in the upcoming elections.

jordanelection.com

The results of Al-Hayat's survey are available publicly through a user-friendly website, www.jordanelection.com, where activists, researchers, candidates and policymakers can track trends in specific youth subgroups, particularly first-time voters. For instance, the survey showed that young people strongly support domestic election monitoring, which is useful information for activists pressing the government to allow civil society organizations to observe the election process.

To help visualize results and make better connections across regions, the findings are displayed on a colorful interactive map divided into national, regional and governorate levels. The data can also be explored by gender, age and education level, giving the user detailed demographic information. The website's simple design combined with its in-depth presentation of the survey data is a powerful tool for designing a variety of election-related youth programs.

The results revealed a number of concerns over previous elections and how future polls will be conducted. For example, participants said that during the 2007 elections they faced overcrowded polling centers and witnessed vote-buying and other violations. For this year's elections, respondents expressed a continued lack of confidence in parliament and said they do not have information on how Jordan's recently-amended electoral law might affect procedures for the November polls.

Using the survey results, Al-Hayat tailored its campaign to address those issues of particular concern in hopes that it would encourage young people to participate. In cooperation with local authorities and civil society organizations Al-Hayat has been holding roundtables where its staff and volunteers engage directly with young Jordanians, answering questions about registration and the new electoral law and encouraging youth to participate in the political process. More than 800 young people have participated in these events so far, and Al-Hayat will hold them throughout the summer.

Al-Hayat has also created a series of posters and videos promoting the importance of youth participation, and encouraging young voters to register and research candidate platforms before voting. These videos are listed as "most viewed" on the increasingly popular Jordanian website 3alarasi, which carries short videos and caricatures on current social and political matters.

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Pictured above: One of three posters produced for Al-Hayat's voter participation campaign. The Arabic reads: "'Shall I participate... Shall I not participate...' Building a prosperous future does not depend on luck; build your own future and participate in the parliamentary elections. Participate."

Published on August 19, 2010

Notes from Benghazi: Local Elections

fgalleto — Fri, 25 May 2012 15:04:14 +0000

Libyan voters went to the polls in Benghazi May 19 to elect members of the city’s local council. It was the first election held there in more than four decades. Though NDI did not field an international observation mission, Megan Doherty, NDI resident senior program officer in Libya, was accredited to observe the vote. Here she shares her informal observations of the voting process.

Women wait to vote in Benghazi. Photo by Megan Doherty.

Voters turned out in ample numbers in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi to elect 41 members to the city’s local council. According to local election authorities, 441 candidates stood for election. While there were no reliable estimates of the size of Benghazi’s voting population, 200,000 citizens reportedly registered.

Local authorities declared a public holiday to encourage citizens to vote. At midday and afternoon prayers, imams in local mosques also urged people to participate in the polls and to vote their conscience. Security forces were deployed throughout the city and in front of polling stations to maintain order.

The vote followed a two-week campaign that saw candidates using posters, leaflets and, to a lesser extent, in-person gatherings to court voters. Some candidates complained that despite the two-week campaign period, the Benghazi local election commission did not share official candidate and campaign regulations until one week before election day.

With Elections in Sight, Libyans Concerned About Security, Country's Direction

As the political transition proceeds in Libya, leaders continue to struggle to meet public expectations on key issues such as security, political reform and standard of living, according to a new public opinion study by NDI.

From April 10 - 20, the Institute examined citizens' opinions through 12 focus groups in six cities across Libya. The research took place two months before anticipated elections for a national public congress, which will be tasked with overseeing the drafting of a new constitution. Libyans view the approaching elections with great enthusiasm.

Libya’s Path Ahead is Unclear as Elections Loom

fgalleto — Thu, 24 May 2012 21:19:56 +0000

Source:

Washington Post

Article Link:

Published Date:

05/22/2012

Writing in the Washington Post, Anne Applebaum reports on Libya’s stability as they near the June elections. Applebaum describes the dangers in Janzour, the former Libyan Naval Academy that is now home to more than 2,000 refugees displaced by the Libyan revolution. A few of these refugees, from the town of Tawergha, joined the regime’s soldiers last summer and are now fearful of retaliation and attack by the anti-Gaddafi opposition known as the Misrata militia. The Misrata militia has threatened to murder any Tawerghans who return to their town and have legitimized their threats through bombarding people’s homes. Applebaum describes that the Tawerghans, like so many other issues in Libya, remains overlooked and unsolved under the Transitional National Council and provisional government.

And, while many are looking to the June elections for solutions to these critical problems, Applebaum argues that the power vacuum has lent itself to some positive developments, particularly the emergence of a civil society. In fact, with the help of a brand new charity, the Libyan Housing Authority, journalists are gaining more access to Janzour, giving a necessary voice to the refugees and those fearful of violence by Misrata militia.

With Elections in Sight, Libyans Concerned about Security, Country's Direction

fgalleto — Tue, 22 May 2012 18:49:36 +0000

From April 10-20, the Institute examined citizens’ opinions through 12 focus groups in six cities across Libya. The research took place two months before anticipated elections for a national public congress (NPC), which will be tasked with overseeing the drafting of a new constitution. Libyans view the approaching elections with great enthusiasm.

Young Libyans in Benghazi celebrate Liberation Day. Photo by Megan Doherty.

NDI’s research was designed to capture citizen sentiments about the political landscape and expectations for the next phase of Libya’s transition. Here are some key findings:

In general, Libyans are concerned that the goals of the 2011 revolution have not yet been realized and that progress is too slow. The most commonly cited areas of apprehension relate to security and the complicated, opaque political environment. Some respondents cite reasons for optimism, such as the flourishing of civil society, new freedoms and small improvements in local security.
Libyans are enthusiastic to participate in elections for the first time, seeing voting as a fundamental right and a vital act of self-expression. Awareness of the upcoming elections, however, is low, and may, with other barriers such as security, dampen voter turnout. Citizens want more information about the electoral process and political contestants.
Opinions about political parties have improved considerably compared to a prior study conducted by NDI in November 2011. Though still hampered by decades of negative propaganda during the reign of ousted leader Muammar Gaddafi, political parties are beginning to convince citizens of their positive contributions to the transition.
Support remains consistent for moderate Islamic principles in the political sphere; most Libyans want and expect Islam to play a role in political life. They struggle to define a cohesive picture of moderate Islam, but often point to tolerance over extremism as a core principle.
Citizens expect to play a role in the constitution-drafting process, which will be led by the elected NPC. Expectations of the NPC are inflated, in part due to misunderstanding of the body’s projected roles and functions. Some respondents anticipate that the NPC will address issues like security, infrastructure and health, while in fact its mandate may be limited to overseeing constitution-drafting.
Widespread criticism of the National Transitional Council (NTC) and transitional national government (TNG) reflect the challenges these institutions face in addressing the public’s expectations and communicating with citizens. Libyans harbor concerns about the transitional government’s ineffectiveness, lack of transparency and susceptibility to corruption.

NDI relies on these findings to provide Libyan decision makers—in political parties, civil society organizations and the transitional government—with timely, relevant information on public opinion that can inform policies and make them more responsive to citizens’ interests and needs. The results of this study can be evaluated in comparison with the November 2011 qualitative public opinion research conducted by NDI in Libya.

Production of this report was made possible through funding from the State Department’s Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI).

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Published May 22, 2012

Building a New Libya: Citizen Views on Libya's Electoral and Political Processes

fgalleto — Tue, 22 May 2012 18:32:17 +0000

Author:

Megan Doherty

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

05/22/2012

Resource Type:

Focus Group Report

Language:

English

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Yemen: The Tribal Islamists

fgalleto — Tue, 08 May 2012 23:12:37 +0000

Source:

The Islamists Are Coming

Article Link:

Published Date:

05/06/2012

A new book, The Islamists Are Coming, is the first to survey the rise of Islamist groups in the wake of the Arab Spring. There are more than 50 Islamist parties across the region with millions of followers. Though they are often lumped together, the parties have diverse political ideologies, goals and constituencies. With chapters covering Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, Syria, the Palestinian territories, Morocco, Jordan, Lebanon, Yemen and Turkey, the book takes an in-depth look at the diversity of parties emerging across the region.

Les Campbell, NDI senior associate and regional director for Middle East and North Africa programs, authored the books' chapter on Yemen. "Yemen: The Tribal Islamists" follows the history of Islah, the country's Islamist party, and surveys some of its policy positions. In Yemen, where tribe is still the core around which politics is organized, Islah has been a blend of tribal forces and Islamic influences since its founding in 1990. The party has been more pragmatic and less dogmatic in its approach than other Islamist parties in the region, maintaining a focus on individual liberty, freedom of choice and democracy, as well as reforms based on Islam.

The wide array of constituencies within the party, including tribal leaders from rural areas, Salafi sheikhs and the Muslim Brotherhood, have resulted in internal tensions within the party, and with the party aligning itself with the ruling party and the opposition over the course of its history. It is now a key player in Yemen's transition and negotiated with President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down. "The party sometimes appears to be a modernizing force but at other times looks more like a conservative tribal coalition determined to protect the status quo," writes Campbell. How this contradiction is solved will determine the future of the party and its role in the transition.

Read the chapter»

NDI's Les Campbell on Yemen's Tribal Islamists

fgalleto — Sun, 06 May 2012 18:56:57 +0000

A new book, The Islamists Are Coming: Who They Really Are, is the first to survey the rise of Islamist groups in the wake of the Arab Spring. There are more than 50 Islamist parties across the region with millions of followers. Though they are often lumped together, the parties have diverse political ideologies, goals and constituencies. With chapters covering Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, Syria, the Palestinian territories, Morocco, Jordan, Lebanon, Yemen and Turkey, the book takes an in-depth look at the diversity of parties emerging across the region. The book was edited by journalist and foreign policy analyst Robin Wright and published by the United States Institute for Peace Press.

Read the chapter»

Published May 6, 2012

Algeria Offers Own Brand of "Arab Spring" for Vote | April 15, 2012

fgalleto — Tue, 01 May 2012 17:49:16 +0000

Reuters | Link to story »

Algeria on Sunday launched the campaign for a parliamentary election that the ruling elite, in power for 50 years, hopes will soak up the pressure for change that has been building since the "Arab Spring" revolts in neighboring countries.

Oil and gas exporter Algeria is the only country in north Africa whose political system has remained essentially unchanged after the turmoil of last year when long-standing rulers were unseated in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya.

Link to story »

UAE Closes Dubai Office of U.S. Pro-Democracy Group | March 30, 2012

fgalleto — Tue, 01 May 2012 17:34:38 +0000

Reuters | Link to story »

The United Arab Emirates has closed the Dubai office of the National Democratic Institute, a U.S.-funded pro-democracy group that was the subject of a crackdown in Egypt, the U.S. State Department said on Friday.

"We understand that the UAE government has closed the NDI office in Dubai," said State Department spokesman Noel Clay, offering no further details but defending the group's work.

Link to story »

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New Survey Points to Fluctuations in Popularity of Tunisian Political Parties and Leaders | March 23, 2012

fgalleto — Tue, 01 May 2012 17:19:06 +0000

Tunisia Live | Link to story »

According to a new survey conducted by “I Watch,” an independent Tunisian organization, President Moncef Marzouki saw his popularity decline from 69% in January to 62% in February, while the popularity of his political party, Congress for the Republic (CPR), remained steady at 22% over the same period.

Ennahdha’s popularity decreased from 56% in January to 52% in February, while the popularity of the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) and Ettakattol both increased slightly by 1% from 10% to 11% and 8% to 9% respectively.

Link to story »

Clinton to Open Way to Resume Aid to Egypt: US Official | March 22, 2012

fgalleto — Tue, 01 May 2012 17:16:33 +0000

Agence France Presse | Link to story »

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will open the way to resuming $1.3 billion in annual military aid to Egypt that had been suspended over human rights concerns.

"Tomorrow, Secretary Clinton will certify that Egypt is meeting its obligations under its peace treaty with Israel," a senior State Department official said in an email on Thursday.

Link to story »

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U.S. Prepares to Continue Egypt Military Aid Amid Dispute | March 18, 2012

fgalleto — Tue, 01 May 2012 16:15:55 +0000

Bloomberg | Link to story »

The Obama administration is preparing to decide this week to release $1.5 billion in annual aid to Egypt that has been in question since the country’s decision to prosecute U.S. and Egyptian pro-democracy workers./p>

The anticipated approval has angered human rights groups and lawmakers who say that releasing the aid will undermine Egypt’s nascent democratic groups and embolden political forces that have tried to crush them. Congress requires Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to certify that Egypt is promoting freedoms and rights before it will release aid. Clinton can sidestep the restriction by using a waiver to release all or a portion of the funds on national security grounds.

Link to story »

For The First Time, Libyan Citizen Network Will Observe Elections

fgalleto — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 22:35:58 +0000

A coalition of civil society organizations from across Libya has launched the Shahed Network for election observation, the first citizen election monitoring effort ever attempted in the country.

At an April 23 press conference, the network announced its plans to recruit and train observers to monitor all aspects of the June 19 polls for a constituent assembly known as the National Public Conference. The group is working to deploy observers for voter registration in early May. Its goal is to recruit and train observers who will be present in 1,500 polling stations across Libya, for both voter registration and on election day.

A coalition of civil society organizations from across Libya has launched the Shahed Network for election observation, the first citizen election monitoring effort ever attempted in the country.

“Our witnessing of this process will provide citizens with confidence in their democratic elections,” said Abdul Karim Mahamed, chairman of the Shahed Network. “We look forward to the full cooperation of electoral bodies, political entities, candidates, security forces, civil society and the international community in the pursuit of peaceful and credible elections.”

Civil society groups have proliferated during the political transition underway in Libya since the ouster of Muammar Gaddafi in October. Many of them were created during last year's conflict to provide humanitarian assistance, and they are now hoping to contribute to a fair and transparent election process. In March, NDI convened 32 of these groups representing eight cities across the country for a conference on citizen election observation. Many of the network's leaders attended the conference.

Published April 26, 2012

NDI Fields Pre-Election Assessment Mission for Algeria's May 10 Parliamentary Elections

rrunyan — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 14:58:36 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

04/01/2012

Resource Type:

Press Release

Language:

English, French, Arabic

Media Type:

PDF

English

Arabic

French

Attachment	Size
Read the press release (English)	175.92 KB
Read the press release (francais)	195.61 KB
Read the press release (بالعربية)	285.98 KB

For the First Time, Libyan Parties Meet to Discuss Elections

fgalleto — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 19:48:00 +0000

Representatives from 33 of Libya’s new political parties gathered in Tripoli March 1 to learn about the new law that will govern Libya’s first election in nearly 50 years. The late June vote for a constituent assembly will be the first time any of these parties will wage competitive campaigns, and how well they learn the rules of the game will help determine their success as they vie to shape the future of the country.

Dr. Lamin Belhadj, a member of the NTC Election Committee gives an interview with a local TV station.

The emergence of political parties is a new phenomenon in Libya. They were outlawed during Muammar Gaddafi’s 42-year rule and anyone who participated in a party was declared a traitor. Since Gaddafi’s ouster last October, dozens of parties have formed and will compete in elections.

Meeting in the hotel that once served as the center of Gaddafi’s propaganda machine, the NDI-organized event was the first opportunity for parties to interact with transition officials responsible for managing upcoming elections. The outcome of the voting will determine the membership of the 200-person National Public Conference (NPC), the body that will be charged with drafting a constitution and designing the institutions of Libya’s new democracy.

Lamin Belhadj, a member of the National Transitional Council Election Committee, discussed how the election law was drafted, its provisions and how they affect political parties. Three members of the High National Election Commission spoke about the body’s role and the need to begin a dialogue with political organizations. Members of both institutions took questions and comments from the audience.

The ensuing discussion addressed a number of issues including:

The need for transparency in the development of the election process;
The timeline for elections, including when parties and candidates will need to register;
The challenges of voter registration with no recent census or national identification system;
Special measures to ensure the participation of women;
Security considerations for candidates, party officials and voters;
Accreditation for domestic and international observers; and
Campaign regulations involving media access and finance.

Many agreed that the most important challenge will be raising awareness among average citizens about the election and the role of the NPC, which is unprecedented in the country’s history.

The event was also the first time so many parties were able to come together. “We had the opportunity to interact with a party we had not known before and found that we have a lot in common,” said the campaign manager for one party. “We’re now discussing ways that we may be able to work together.”

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Published March 19, 2012