Paper
Yezid Sayigh
{
"authors": [
"Yezid Sayigh"
],
"type": "legacyinthemedia",
"centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
"centers": [
"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center"
],
"collections": [
"Conflict and Refugees"
],
"englishNewsletterAll": "menaTransitions",
"nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
"primaryCenter": "Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center",
"programAffiliation": "MEP",
"programs": [
"Middle East"
],
"projects": [],
"regions": [
"Levant",
"Syria",
"Middle East"
],
"topics": [
"Political Reform",
"Security"
]
}
Source: Getty
In The Media
Syrian Refugees Start Voting in the Presidential Election
Thousands have flooded the voting booths for the Syrian presidential elections in places like Lebanon and Jordan.
By Yezid Sayigh
Published on May 29, 2014
Source: ABC NewsRadio
Host of ABC NewsRadio Tracey Holmes opened up the discussion on the Syrian presidential elections and refugee voting rights with Carnegie’s Yezid Sayigh.
When asked whether he was surprised that Syrian refugees were given the opportunity to vote during the Syrian presidential elections, Sayigh said that the Syrian government has allowed voting for Syrians around the world, adding “any country that has allowed the Syrian embassy to set up a polling both, this is possible for every Syrian. In the case of Syrian refugees, in places like Lebanon or Jordan, they are entitled to the same right. Though the question of course is who actually chooses to exercise this right in what most people understand is not a genuine or credible election.” Sayigh explained that many in Lebanon, for example, are very well connected into Syria. There’s a lot of fear about future consequences, and thus, Syrians “outside of Syria will still behave as if they were at risk from regime retribution or punishment,” said Sayigh.“Right now it looks horrific,” said Sayigh in response to the kind of future Syria may face. “This is a picture of a country that is not going to be able to pick itself up again for many years to come, and that’s assuming that the war stops, and right now it doesn’t look like it’s going to stop for awhile yet.”
About the Author
Yezid Sayigh
Senior Fellow, Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center
Yezid Sayigh is a senior fellow at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, where he leads the program on Civil-Military Relations in Arab States (CMRAS). His work focuses on the comparative political and economic roles of Arab armed forces, the impact of war on states and societies, the politics of postconflict reconstruction and security sector transformation in Arab transitions, and authoritarian resurgence.
- Egypt’s Military Landlord Economy and its Limitations
- What Is Israel’s Plan in Lebanon?Commentary
Yezid Sayigh
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
More Work from Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center
- Russia Is Approaching a Political CrossroadsCommentary
Two divergent trends—Putin’s hardline vision of how to prosecute the war in Ukraine, and a growing desire for change in Russia—could tear the regime apart.
Tatiana Stanovaya
- Control Above Reform: What’s Behind Ukraine’s Government and Security Reshuffle?Commentary
Ultimately, Zelensky sided neither with the reform camp nor with the military establishment as such, but with political control.
Balázs Jarábik
- Where Are President Tokayev’s Political Reforms Leading Kazakhstan?Commentary
Tokayev’s predecessor, Nursultan Nazarbayev, outlined arrangements for a power transition too soon and in too much detail, ultimately losing control over the process. Tokayev is determined not to meet the same fate.
Temur Umarov
- What Should We Take From Andrey Melnichenko’s Essay in the Economist?Commentary
Andrey Melnichenko’s essay offers no answer to the fundamental question of how, under any kind of negotiated settlement, Europe can protect itself from the Russian ressentiment that is inevitable in all scenarios except for an outright victory for Putin.
Leonid Bershidsky
- Parliamentary Elections in Occupied Ukraine Risk Backfiring for the KremlinCommentary
Despite unhappiness on the ground, Moscow is determined to use both carrot and stick to ensure there is record support for United Russia in occupied Ukraine.
Konstantin Skorkin
