Middle East This Week: September 27, 2022

September 27, 2022

A weekly review of news and analysis of elections in the greater Middle East and North Africa, usually posted on Tuesdays and occasionally updated throughout the week.

The Marine Museum in Kuwait City, Kuwait. Photo credit: Wikimedia/Kuwaitsoccer (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Ongoing Middle East Elections

Lebanon Presidential Election (indirect – by parliament): From September 27, 2022

Reuters (September 27, 2022): Lebanese MPs to convene to elect new president, no consensus on candidate

Dario Sabaghi, The New Arab (September 26, 2022): The race for Lebanon’s next president

Abbas Assi, Carnegie Endowment (September 22, 2022): Sectarian Political Settlements in Lebanon

Upcoming Middle East Elections

Kuwait Snap Parliamentary Elections: September 29, 2022

Hamad H. Albloshi, Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington (September 27, 2022): Kuwait’s Parliamentary Elections and Individualism

Fiona MacDonald, Bloomberg (September 27, 2022): Attack on Women Fuels Gender Debate Ahead of Kuwait’s Elections

Fiona MacDonald, Bloomberg (September 26, 2022): Kuwait Shakes Up State Firms Ahead of Vote

Bahrain Parliamentary Elections: November 12, 2022

The New Arab (September 20, 2022): Israel and Bahrain launch talks to negotiate a free trade agreement

Israel Snap Parliamentary Elections: November 1, 2022

Lahav Harkov, Jerusalem Post (September 25, 2022): Israel Elections: Benjamin Netanyahu looks to return as prime minister

Ariel Schmidberg, i24 News (September 22, 2022): Analysis: Yair Lapid’s gamble on the world stage

Shira Rubin, Washington Post (September 21, 2022): Young Palestinians arm themselves for a new era of violent resistance

Mazal Mualem, Al-Monitor (September 21, 2022): How West Bank flare-ups could impact Israeli election

Tunisia Early Legislative Elections: December 17, 2022

Caspar Webb, Arab News (September 27, 2022): Tunisia promises democratic reform in UN address

Chris Coons and David Price, Foreign Policy (September 26, 2022): How Tunisia Can Save Its Economy: It’s all about democracy, stupid.

The New Arab (September 21, 2022): Tunisia delays case against opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi until November

Al Jazeera (September 20, 2022): Tunisia detains former PM Ali Laarayedh after 14-hour questioning

Turkey Presidential and Legislative Elections: By June 18, 2023

Andrew Wilks, Al-Monitor (September 26, 2022): Third alliance enters the fray ahead of Turkish elections: The leftist Labor and Freedom Alliance pledges to undo injustice but could risk a split in the opposition vote.

Steven A. Cook, eKathimerini (September 23, 2022): Greece, be wary until the Turkish elections

Laura Pitel, Financial Times (September 22, 2022): Turkish opposition’s alliance against Erdoğan battles rifts: Coalition with big hopes for next year’s polls struggles not to ‘fall apart’ as cracks surface

Ali Kucukgocmen and Birsen Altayli, Reuters (September 21, 2022): Turkish court adjourns case against top Erdogan opponent to November

Pakistan General Elections: By October 12, 2023

Ismail Dilawar, Bloomberg (September 22, 2022): Imran Khan Calls for Fresh Pakistan Protests as Legal Woes Mount

Salman Rafi Sheikh, Nikkei Asia (September 21, 2022): Pakistan’s Imran Khan faces indictment but PM Sharif feels the heat: Ex-leader’s contempt case may foil comeback, yet experts see risks for government

Libya Presidential and Parliamentary Elections: Overdue

Marc Espanol, Al-Monitor (September 25, 2022): Political battle in Libya reaches Supreme Court

Iraq Snap Parliamentary Elections: Possible, following chaos in the wake of October 2021 elections

Al-Monitor (September 26, 2022): Iraqi parliament speaker resigns: Iraqi parliament speaker Mohammed al-Halbusi resigned from his post but is expected to be re-elected.

Middle East Institute (September 26, 2022): Iraq’s crisis of elite, consensus-based politics turns deadly: The Coordination Framework

Andrew Parasiliti, Al-Monitor (September 23, 2022): Iraq’s political class must address ‘crisis of trust,’ says PM

Mina Al-Oraibi, The National UAE (September 22, 2022): Elections are our path out of political impasse, Iraqi prime minister says

Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic (September 22, 2022): The Most Stinging Resignation Letter Ever Written: When Iraq’s finance minister stepped down last month, he didn’t go quietly.

Past Middle East Elections

Iran Presidential and Local Elections: June 18, 2021

Jon Gambrell, AP (September 26, 2022): Analysis: Latest Iran protests likely not last for Tehran

Sajjad Safaei, Foreign Policy (September 23, 2022): Iran’s Anti-Veil Protests Have Already Succeeded: The Islamic Republic is no stranger to protests—but this time, they’re leaving a permanent mark

Reuters (September 22, 2022): Iranian unrest leading up to Mahsa Amini’s death in police custody

Egypt Parliamentary Elections: October-December 2020

Joseph Krauss and Lujain Jo, AP (September 26, 2022): Egyptian cleric revered by Muslim Brotherhood dies at 96: Youssef al-Qaradawi, an Egyptian cleric seen as the spiritual leader of the pan-Arab Muslim Brotherhood, has died at the age of 96

Middle East Elections Coming Up in 2022 and 2023

Kuwait Snap Parliamentary Elections: September 29, 2022

Libya Presidential and Parliamentary Elections: Overdue

Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Parliamentary Elections: October 1, 2022 (delays possible)

Lebanon Indirect Presidential Election (by parliament): October 31, 2022

Israel Snap Parliamentary Elections: November 1, 2022

Bahrain Parliamentary Elections: November12,  2022

Tunisia Early Legislative Elections: December 17, 2022

Turkey Presidential and Legislative Elections: By June 18, 2023

Pakistan General Elections: By October 12, 2023

Israel Local Elections: October 2023

Oman Consultative Assembly Elections: October 2023

United Arab Emirates Federal National Council Elections: October 2023 (indirect elections, advisory body with limited powers)

Egypt Local Elections: Due and discussed, but not scheduled

Oman Local Elections: Due, but postponed due to COVID-19

Palestinian Authority Presidential and Legislative Elections: Long overdue, postponed yet again, no date set

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