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The maneuvering surrounding the formation of the Constituent Assembly may reduce the influence of Islamists in the process, but it will do so by curbing democratic practices.
Reform in Bahrain is at an impasse with internal divisions within both the ruling family and opposition, and the resumption of U.S. weapons sales to Bahrain did not help Washington’s capacity to push change in the right direction.
In both the West Bank and Gaza, a soft authoritarianism that has provoked uprisings elsewhere has only been further entrenching itself.
Because the array of Egyptian courts will likely have more to say on transition issues, a brief guide to the judicial cast of characters is useful.
With the State Council, Parliament, the Supreme Constitutional Court, and the oncoming presidency all vying for political power, Egypt's transitioning democracy is marked by confusion, sectarianism, and an underlying fear of the old regime.
Conservative figures within the Bahraini royal family seem to be redoubling their efforts to subdue the opposition.
The democratic spirit that seems to have struck deep roots in Egyptian society may still ensure that when everything that could go wrong does go wrong, the country can still recover.
Islamists did not fare well in the Algerian parliamentary elections, despite the rise of Islamist parties in Egypt and Tunisia, because the main Islamist party is still banned and Algerians are scarred by the memories of the country’s civil war.
The economic platforms of Islamist parties have largely been overlooked, despite the serious challenges that lie ahead for the economies of the Arab world.
The result of the first round of Egypt’s presidential election seems poised to be the prelude to a direct confrontation between the old regime and the Muslim Brotherhood.