January 3, 2023
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.
A statue of the great Ibn Khaldun, a 14th-century historian and philosopher, in Tunis, Tunisia. Photo credit: Wikimedia/Citizen59 (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Upcoming Middle East Elections
Tunisia Legislative Runoffs: January 20, 2023
Patricia Karam, The Hill (December 29, 2022): Tunisia’s election is a wake-up call
Africanews (December 29, 2022): Tunisia’s Saied downplays low turnout in parliamentary elections
Reuters (December 24, 2022): Tunisia union says election runoffs could cause chaos
Sharan Grewal, Brookings Institution (December 21, 2022): Tunisia’s parliamentary election draws a collective shrug
AP (December 18, 2022): Tunisia’s president urged to resign after unprecedented low turnout for elections
Leila Fadel, NPR (December 16, 2022): Divided political parties in Tunisia unite to boycott parliamentary elections
Abubakr Al-Shamahi, Al Jazeera (December 15, 2022): Ex-Tunisian president warns of ‘Arab volcano’ ahead of elections
Missy Ryan, Washington Post (December 14, 2022): Tunisia’s leader defiantly rejects U.S. rebuke on democratic erosion: The country’s status as an Arab Spring success story and close U.S. ally is in jeopardy as its president consolidates power
Turkey General Elections: June 18, 2023
Beril Akman, Bloomberg (January 3, 2022): Turkish Finance Czar Rules Out a Policy U-Turn After Elections
Reuters (January 2, 2022): Turkey’s AK Party mulls bringing elections ‘slightly’ forward
Paul Taylor, Politico (January 2, 2022): Erdoğan plots war, crackdown to save his skin: The Turkish leader is using every trick in the autocrat’s book to snatch reelection.
Erin O’Brien, Foreign Policy (December 14, 2022): Will Waging War in Syria Save Erdogan? Turkey’s president appears to be betting on conflict to bolster his political prospects in 2023.
Al-Monitor (December 7, 2022): Al-Monitor/Premise poll finds tight race for Erdogan in Turkey’s elections
Pakistan General Elections: By October 12, 2023 (snap elections possible)
Maleeha Lodhi, Dawn (December 29, 2022): Opinion: Will early elections end Pakistan’s political crisis?
Samira Hussain, BBC (December 22, 2022): Pakistan: Imran Khan’s high-stakes election gamble
Abid Hussain, Al-Jazeera (December 7, 2022): Pakistan poll panel starts process to remove Khan as party chief: Case relates to allegations that Khan bought gifts given by foreign dignitaries from the state depository but did not disclose them before the poll panel.
Iran Parliamentary Elections: February 1, 2024
Eric Edelman and Ray Takeyh, Foreign Affairs (January 2, 2023): Iran’s Protesters Want Regime Change
Palestinian Authority Presidential and Legislative Elections: Overdue
Mohammed Najib, Arab News (January 1, 2023): Palestinian Authority facing year of critical challenges
Libya Presidential and Parliamentary Elections: Overdue
Reuters (December 24, 2022): Eastern Libyan leader announces ‘final chance’ for elections
Asma Khalifa, Arab Reform Initiative (December 22, 2022): Why Elections Won’t Happen in Libya
Past Middle East Elections
Israel Snap Parliamentary Elections: November 1, 2022
Times of Israel (January 2, 2023): Netanyahu and wife Sara visit Western Wall to mark election win: Prime minister places note between ancient stones, declares duty to preserve Jewish heritage and legacy
James Mackenzie, Reuters (December 29, 2022): Israel’s Netanyahu must manage right-wing firebrands on return to power
AP (December 29, 2022): Israel swears in Netanyahu as prime minister, most right-wing government in country’s history
Middle East Elections Coming Up in 2023
Turkey and Pakistan are due to hold elections that determine who runs the government. In addition, long-overdue elections in the Palestinian Authority and Libya could take place in 2023, but don’t hold your breath.
Pakistan, Local Elections in Karachi and Hyderabad: January 15, 2023
Tunisia Legislative Runoffs: January 20, 2023
Lebanon Indirect Presidential Election (by parliament): continues in January 2023
Lebanon Local Elections: May 2023 (due)
Tunisia Local Elections: May 2023 (due)
Turkey Presidential and Legislative Elections: June 18, 2023
Kurdistan (Iraq) Presidential and Parliamentary Elections: September 2023 (due – delayed from 2022)
Pakistan General Elections: October 12, 2023 (due – snap elections possible)
Israel Local Elections: October 2023 (due)
Oman Consultative Assembly Elections (advisory body with limited power): October 2023 (due)
United Arab Emirates Federal National Council Elections (indirect elections, advisory body with limited powers): October 2023 (due)
Iraq Regional Elections: December 2023 (due)
Middle East This Week: January 10, 2023
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Last Updated: January 16, 2023 by 21votes
January 3, 2023
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.
Upcoming Middle East Elections
Tunisia Legislative Runoffs: January 20, 2023
Patricia Karam, The Hill (December 29, 2022): Tunisia’s election is a wake-up call
Africanews (December 29, 2022): Tunisia’s Saied downplays low turnout in parliamentary elections
Reuters (December 24, 2022): Tunisia union says election runoffs could cause chaos
Sharan Grewal, Brookings Institution (December 21, 2022): Tunisia’s parliamentary election draws a collective shrug
AP (December 18, 2022): Tunisia’s president urged to resign after unprecedented low turnout for elections
Leila Fadel, NPR (December 16, 2022): Divided political parties in Tunisia unite to boycott parliamentary elections
Abubakr Al-Shamahi, Al Jazeera (December 15, 2022): Ex-Tunisian president warns of ‘Arab volcano’ ahead of elections
Missy Ryan, Washington Post (December 14, 2022): Tunisia’s leader defiantly rejects U.S. rebuke on democratic erosion: The country’s status as an Arab Spring success story and close U.S. ally is in jeopardy as its president consolidates power
Turkey General Elections: June 18, 2023
Beril Akman, Bloomberg (January 3, 2022): Turkish Finance Czar Rules Out a Policy U-Turn After Elections
Reuters (January 2, 2022): Turkey’s AK Party mulls bringing elections ‘slightly’ forward
Paul Taylor, Politico (January 2, 2022): Erdoğan plots war, crackdown to save his skin: The Turkish leader is using every trick in the autocrat’s book to snatch reelection.
Erin O’Brien, Foreign Policy (December 14, 2022): Will Waging War in Syria Save Erdogan? Turkey’s president appears to be betting on conflict to bolster his political prospects in 2023.
Al-Monitor (December 7, 2022): Al-Monitor/Premise poll finds tight race for Erdogan in Turkey’s elections
Pakistan General Elections: By October 12, 2023 (snap elections possible)
Maleeha Lodhi, Dawn (December 29, 2022): Opinion: Will early elections end Pakistan’s political crisis?
Samira Hussain, BBC (December 22, 2022): Pakistan: Imran Khan’s high-stakes election gamble
Abid Hussain, Al-Jazeera (December 7, 2022): Pakistan poll panel starts process to remove Khan as party chief: Case relates to allegations that Khan bought gifts given by foreign dignitaries from the state depository but did not disclose them before the poll panel.
Iran Parliamentary Elections: February 1, 2024
Eric Edelman and Ray Takeyh, Foreign Affairs (January 2, 2023): Iran’s Protesters Want Regime Change
Palestinian Authority Presidential and Legislative Elections: Overdue
Mohammed Najib, Arab News (January 1, 2023): Palestinian Authority facing year of critical challenges
Libya Presidential and Parliamentary Elections: Overdue
Reuters (December 24, 2022): Eastern Libyan leader announces ‘final chance’ for elections
Asma Khalifa, Arab Reform Initiative (December 22, 2022): Why Elections Won’t Happen in Libya
Past Middle East Elections
Israel Snap Parliamentary Elections: November 1, 2022
Times of Israel (January 2, 2023): Netanyahu and wife Sara visit Western Wall to mark election win: Prime minister places note between ancient stones, declares duty to preserve Jewish heritage and legacy
James Mackenzie, Reuters (December 29, 2022): Israel’s Netanyahu must manage right-wing firebrands on return to power
AP (December 29, 2022): Israel swears in Netanyahu as prime minister, most right-wing government in country’s history
Middle East Elections Coming Up in 2023
Turkey and Pakistan are due to hold elections that determine who runs the government. In addition, long-overdue elections in the Palestinian Authority and Libya could take place in 2023, but don’t hold your breath.
Pakistan, Local Elections in Karachi and Hyderabad: January 15, 2023
Tunisia Legislative Runoffs: January 20, 2023
Lebanon Indirect Presidential Election (by parliament): continues in January 2023
Lebanon Local Elections: May 2023 (due)
Tunisia Local Elections: May 2023 (due)
Turkey Presidential and Legislative Elections: June 18, 2023
Kurdistan (Iraq) Presidential and Parliamentary Elections: September 2023 (due – delayed from 2022)
Pakistan General Elections: October 12, 2023 (due – snap elections possible)
Israel Local Elections: October 2023 (due)
Oman Consultative Assembly Elections (advisory body with limited power): October 2023 (due)
United Arab Emirates Federal National Council Elections (indirect elections, advisory body with limited powers): October 2023 (due)
Iraq Regional Elections: December 2023 (due)
Category: This Week Tags: Iran, Israel, Libya, Pakistan, Palestinian Authority, Tunisia, Turkey