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)