Political transformations and social movements Developments and visions Archives - Page 8 of 11

Mavie MaherEgyptThis paper is a result of a closed round table discussion; it expresses the personal opinion of its writers and does not necessarily express the opinion of the Arab Forum for Alternatives or Global Partners Governance The Egyptian revolution has raised of the expectations of Egyptians regarding the various state and societal institutions. The Egyptian media had been previously referred to as biased and misleading, therefore this paper aims to suggest the various ways it could reform and liberate itself in order to deliver on its mission in such a pivotal moment in history. The general political instability as…

Laws pertaining to Political Deposition and Transitional Justice

26 December، 20138fe72e23ug8oPapers and studies, Political transformations and social movements Developments and visions

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Ziad AbdeltawabThis document defines transitional justice as the process of legislative changes as well as accountability, retribution and reconciliation that occurs after the removal of a regime. Despite the existence of the term for decades, there’s still widespread debate over the true definition of it. Thus, any definition is bound to encompass a plethora of legal tools and institutions as well as various individuals and entities. However, how can one achieve transitional justice in a system that is rampant with political strife, weak state institutions, low political efficacy and the absence of the rule of law? Politically deposing individuals does…

Civil-Military Relations in Egypt

26 December، 20138fe72e23ug8oPapers and studies, Political transformations and social movements Developments and visions

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Rabab ElMahdiDespite civil oversight of the military system being one of the cornerstones of democratic states, it does not spontaneously come about in transitional phases. In some cases, the military hands over the presidency but retains control of the various official and unofficial positions within the political sphere. According to the classic definition, one could say that there is civil oversight, when a military is in control of its internal structures and activities but answerable to a civil institution. Here, one draws a distinction between “institutional independence” and “political independence”. Institutional independence is when the military is an independent entity…

Towards A New Electoral Code for the Parliamentary System

16 December، 20138fe72e23ug8oPapers and studies, Political transformations and social movements Developments and visions

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Amr El ShobakiAn electoral code is formulated in a way that facilitates the political life of a state and guards the political rights of citizens and political parties. In most cases, where an electoral code seems to be biased towards or against certain individuals and/or political parties, the reignig government is usually one of an autocratic nature. In Egypt’s case, talks of a code favoring either the civil or the islamic forces, would go against the public interest and the ongoing democratization process. In reality, those laws, whether the party list system or the single system, could in and of…

Political Participation of the Youth post-Revolution

12 December، 20138fe72e23ug8oPapers and studies, Political transformations and social movements Developments and visions

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Omar Samir KhalafThe youth of Egypt played a vital role in the January 25th revolution and were on the initial driving forces behind the movement. After the revolution, many of them decided to remain politicized and active. This paper attempts to track the activities of the youth in the political sphere following the uprising. It is important to note that January 25th was not the first time, in recent times at least, the youth took to the streets to have their voices heard. Significant participation of the youth was noted during the Palestinian Intifada in Egypt of 2000, the Kefaya…

Laws Governing Political Parties

12 December، 20138fe72e23ug8oPapers and studies, Political transformations and social movements Developments and visions

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Mohamed ElAgatiThis publication encompasses the different aspects of the laws governing political parties on local, regional and international levels. It coincides with the then-recent reforms regarding the aforementioned laws and features several models of legal regulation from across the world, discusses relevant pieces of international law, provides a criticism of the new laws and includes several policy recommendations and modifications. It commences with Richard Katz’s suggested framework for policy formulation pertaining to the legal regulation of political parties. Domestic law would have to lay out the different requirements, specifications and features a political party would have to fulfill and/or possess…

Civil Society Oversight of Egyptian Elections: Between Reality and Challenges

12 December، 20138fe72e23ug8oPapers and studies, Political transformations and social movements Developments and visions

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Kholoud KhaledKholoud Khaled describes the holding of elections as one of the most important stepping stones following the ouster of Former President Muhammed Hosni Mubarak. The most vital aspect of a successful elections process includes complete transparency, lack of bias and guarantees the effective transfer of power. While the terms oversight and supervision have been used interchangeably, most controversially in the parliamentary elections of 2011, to signify the regulation of the electoral process, the two words actually mean two different things. Oversight of an election is a process that can be split into two long-term phases and a short-term one.…

Egypt& the E.U. Normalization or Crisis?

8 December، 20138fe72e23ug8oPapers and studies, Political transformations and social movements Developments and visions

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Nathalie TocciEgypt heading towards normalization The Egyptian regime is determined to signal its credibility to the West. Its government, specifically as far as economic policy is concerned, is composed of the best technocrats the country can boast.The paying off of the 25% in arrears, owed to predominantly European, international energy companies, will commence by the end of this year. This is a meagre start, given that the 25% would merely revert the situation to what it was in July 2013 rather than improve beyond it. However, it does signal the Egyptian regime’s credibility,a gradually normalizing domestic situation, and a commitment…

The Egyptian Shura council and the international experiences

12 June، 20138fe72e23ug8oBooks and manuals, Political transformations and social movements Developments and visions

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Anthony Mughan ,Anyim Ude ,James Selfe ,Mac Harb ,Mani Shankar Aiyar ,Mohamed ElAgati ,Natasha Stott Despoja ,Nico Schrijver ,Nouran AhmedEgyptThe Egyptian Shura Council is one of the most controversial political bodies in Egypt, caught between those who support its continuation and those who believe it should be abolished. This is an old debate in Egyptian politics that dates back to the Council’s founding under President Sadat. However, this debate was given a boost in the wake of the revolution of January 25, 2011 in the context of attempts to revisit the past political legacy and build a new political system…

Reforming the Police: How and Why؟

4 April، 20138fe72e23ug8oPapers and studies, Political transformations and social movements Developments and visions

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Rabha SeifPolice brutality was on the main issues that the 25th of January Revolution shed light on, and reforming the police force would be accomplishing on the main demands of the revolution. Not only would it greatly improve the security situation in such a detrimental time, but it would also change the institutional and cultural framework of the police, fostering a sense of respect for constitutional values and human rights. Reforming a police force is a gradual, multi-layered and time-consuming process. Some states have even opted to simply remove the entire existing force and corresponding institutions and reconstruct them. One…