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Rethinking Arab Democratic Transitions Democratic Gains Challenges: 1- Political Islam 2- Gender

Arab Democratic Transitions?. Rethinking Arab Democratic Transitions Democratic Gains Challenges: 1- Political Islam 2- Gender 3- Alternation of Power 4- Human rights. Rethinking Arab Transitions. Limitations of Theory Peculiarities Exceptionalism. Frequency

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Rethinking Arab Democratic Transitions Democratic Gains Challenges: 1- Political Islam 2- Gender

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  1. Arab Democratic Transitions? • Rethinking Arab Democratic Transitions • Democratic Gains • Challenges: • 1- Political Islam • 2- Gender • 3- Alternation of Power • 4- Human rights

  2. Rethinking Arab Transitions • Limitations of Theory • Peculiarities • Exceptionalism

  3. Frequency close to 50 elections b/w 1989-1999  5 per year Participation voter turnout = 80%+ voting age lowered to 18 in many Arab states Contestation multiparty elections opposition field candidates Habituation voting rights exercised voter rolls regularity of voting Democratic Gains

  4. Challenges • 1- Political Islam • Caveats • Explaining the “impasse” • Islamizing democracy? Democratizing Islam? • PI in the Democratic Process

  5. Islamic Action Front • IAF (Jordan)  approximates a political party • Cadres  mostly civil not religious or both • Democratic procedures inside front • Alternation of leadership • Broad consultation, deliberation & aggregation of political preferences

  6. Challenges • 2- Gender • Inclusive Politics • Away from “state feminism” • Women and the electoral process

  7. Jordanian National Forum for Women -- JNFW • Objectives: “spreading awareness among Jordanian women of the content of the national strategy which was ratified in 1993 and which aims to improve women’s status, involve them in the national development ..., and promote their legal status and increase their participation in decision-making…”

  8. The Jordanian National Committee for Women • “To amend legislation obstructing women’s participation in development and enacting new legislations and policies…emphasizing…their full participation.” • “To create public awareness regarding the importance of women’s roles and their status in the progress the Jordanian society.” • “To increase women’s participation in development and to create job opportunities for them ...”

  9. Jordanian Constitution • Chapter Two • Rights and duties of Jordanians • I. Jordanians shall be equal before the law. There shall be no discrimination between them as regards their rights and duties on grounds of race, language or religion.

  10. Since elections of 1997, more women are lobbying for a quota system  reach parliament in 2001 20% quota in the LHP (16 seats of the 80-seat parliament) Queen Noor: “I would prefer to have the various political parties elect women to their high cadres and this may have women represent their parties in parliament.”

  11. Women in Egypt's Parliament • Under-represented • Women activists reconsidering quota system • Tokenism within government/opposition • Females = less than 3% of candidates in elections

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