Upcoming Elections
Israel Snap Parliamentary – April 9, 2018
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition has announced plans to dissolve the Knesset and hold snap elections on April 9, 2019. This is no surprise. The coalition has a razor-thin majority, exacerbated by the November 14 resignation of defense minister Avgidor Liberman, and many doubted that it could survive until the end of its full term in November 2019. Controversial legislation that would have drafted ultra-Orthodox into the military pushed things over the edge, and the coalition decided it was no longer tenable. The Knesset will vote on dissolution on Wednesday, and if a majority of members vote to dissolve, Israelis go to the polls April 9.
Gaza/West Bank Possible Snap Legislative – Date TBD
Palestinians may also be headed to the polls early. The Associated Press reports: “Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says he will implement a court order to dissolve the inactive parliament controlled by the rival Hamas movement. The Palestinian Legislative Council has been divided since the militant Hamas group wrested control of Gaza after deadly fighting with pro-Abbas forces in 2007, a year after it won parliamentary elections.” Abbas has called for elections within six months. Hamas rejected the decision.
A recent poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research found that if Palestinians voted today, “Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas were to square off, the former would win with 49 percent of the vote (up from 45% three month ago) compared to the latter’s 42% (down from 47% three months ago).” The same poll found that “Hamas and Abbas’ Fatah faction are nearly deadlocked with the former projected to receive 35% of the vote (down from 36% three months ago) compared to the latter’s 34% (up from 27% three months ago).”
Afghanistan Presidential – April 20, 2019
Reuters reports: “Afghan President Ashraf Ghani named two former heads of the intelligence services to key security posts in his government on Sunday in a step that could affect both next year’s presidential election and moves toward peace with the Taliban.” The two appointees are seen as critical of Pakistan, and the move could anger both the Pakistani government and the Taliban.
Kabul-based CBS journalist Ahmad Mukhtar considers whether the Taliban are winning in Afghanistan, following the conclusion of direct talks between their leaders and Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, the United States Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation. Direct negotiations with the U.S. and withdrawal of American troops have been the Taliban’s two major demands over the years, and they got both this month.
Algeria Presidential – April 2019
Tunis-based Reuters journalist Lamine Ghanmi: “Uncertainty clouds Bouteflika’s re-election prospects: The confluence of external threats and the uneasy domestic climate holds a destabilizing potential for Algeria.” However, as Freedom House notes: “The 2014 presidential vote was marred by ballot stuffing, multiple voting, inflated electoral rolls, and the misuse of state resources to benefit the incumbent.”
Libya – 2019
Bloomberg reports: “Russia said it supports a political role for the son of deposed Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi, who’s bidding to take over the leadership of the oil-rich North African state….Qaddafi’s son could stand in national elections the United Nations plans to hold next year, though he’s wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges from 2011 including two counts of crimes against humanity.”
Other Regional News and Views
Jordan
Temple University professor Sean Yom and Amman-based researcher Wael Al-Khatib examine Jordan’s growing youth protest movement: “However, beyond anti-austerity frustrations, something else is churning. The tribal foundations of the ruling monarchy are crumbling due to generational turnover, and the rules of politics are radically changing. Our research on youth activismhas highlighted this, showing how today’s upheaval reflects the enduring legacy of the Arab Spring. This is no Islamistresurgence, or revival of civil society associations. Democratic parties remain a non-factor in parliamentary elections. Nor are these upswells of Palestinian nationalism, the boogeyman of Jordan’s security apparatus, which is perennially nervous about a population that is two-thirds Palestinian. Instead, Jordan’s turmoil reveals the raw power of generational identity in catalyzing contentious politics.”
A soldier votes in Israel’s 2006 Knesset election. Photo credit: Israeli Defense Forces
21votes does not necessarily endorse all of the views in all of the linked articles or publications.
Middle East This Week – December 25, 2018
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Last Updated: January 1, 2019 by 21votes
Each day, 21votes gathers election and political news from a different region of the world. We explore the Middle East and North Africa on Tuesdays.
Israel Snap Parliamentary - April 9, 2018
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition has announced plans to dissolve the Knesset and hold snap elections on April 9, 2019. This is no surprise. The coalition has a razor-thin majority, exacerbated by the November 14 resignation of defense minister Avgidor Lieberman, and many doubted that it could survive until the end of its full term in November 2019. Controversial legislation that would have drafted ultra-Orthodox into the military pushed things over the edge, and the coalition decided it was no longer tenable. The Knesset will vote on dissolution on Wednesday, and if a majority of members vote to dissolve, Israelis go to the polls April 9.
Afghanistan Presidential - April 20, 2019
Reuters reports: “Afghan President Ashraf Ghani named two former heads of the intelligence services to key security posts in his government on Sunday in a step that could affect both next year’s presidential election and moves toward peace with the Taliban.” The two appointees are seen as critical of Pakistan, and the move could anger both the Pakistani government and the Taliban.
Kabul-based CBS journalist Ahmad Mukhtar considers whether the Taliban are winning in Afghanistan, following the conclusion of direct talks between their leaders and Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, the United States Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation. Direct negotiations with the U.S. and withdrawal of American troops have been the Taliban’s two major demands over the years, and they got both this month.
Algeria Presidential - April 2019
Tunis-based Reuters journalist Lamine Ghanmi writes: “Uncertainty clouds Bouteflika’s re-election prospects: The confluence of external threats and the uneasy domestic climate holds a destabilizing potential for Algeria.” However, as Freedom House notes: “The 2014 presidential vote was marred by ballot stuffing, multiple voting, inflated electoral rolls, and the misuse of state resources to benefit the incumbent.”
Libya - 2019
Bloomberg reports: “Russia said it supports a political role for the son of deposed Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi, who’s bidding to take over the leadership of the oil-rich North African state….Qaddafi’s son could stand in national elections the United Nations plans to hold next year, though he’s wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges from 2011 including two counts of crimes against humanity.”
Palestinian Authority Possible Snap Legislative - Date TBD
Palestinians may be headed to the polls early. The Associated Press reports: “Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says he will implement a court order to dissolve the inactive parliament controlled by the rival Hamas movement. The Palestinian Legislative Council has been divided since the militant Hamas group wrested control of Gaza after deadly fighting with pro-Abbas forces in 2007, a year after it won parliamentary elections.” Abbas has called for elections within six months. Hamas rejected the decision.
A recent poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research found that if Palestinians voted today, “Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas were to square off, the former would win with 49 percent of the vote (up from 45% three month ago) compared to the latter’s 42% (down from 47% three months ago).” The same poll found that “Hamas and Abbas’ Fatah faction are nearly deadlocked with the former projected to receive 35% of the vote (down from 36% three months ago) compared to the latter’s 34% (up from 27% three months ago).”
Jordan
Temple University professor Sean Yom and Amman-based researcher Wael Al-Khatib examine Jordan’s growing youth protest movement: “However, beyond anti-austerity frustrations, something else is churning. The tribal foundations of the ruling monarchy are crumbling due to generational turnover, and the rules of politics are radically changing. Our research on youth activismhas highlighted this, showing how today’s upheaval reflects the enduring legacy of the Arab Spring. This is no Islamistresurgence, or revival of civil society associations. Democratic parties remain a non-factor in parliamentary elections. Nor are these upswells of Palestinian nationalism, the boogeyman of Jordan’s security apparatus, which is perennially nervous about a population that is two-thirds Palestinian. Instead, Jordan’s turmoil reveals the raw power of generational identity in catalyzing contentious politics.”
Upcoming Elections
Israel Snap Parliamentary – April 9, 2018
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition has announced plans to dissolve the Knesset and hold snap elections on April 9, 2019. This is no surprise. The coalition has a razor-thin majority, exacerbated by the November 14 resignation of defense minister Avgidor Liberman, and many doubted that it could survive until the end of its full term in November 2019. Controversial legislation that would have drafted ultra-Orthodox into the military pushed things over the edge, and the coalition decided it was no longer tenable. The Knesset will vote on dissolution on Wednesday, and if a majority of members vote to dissolve, Israelis go to the polls April 9.
Gaza/West Bank Possible Snap Legislative – Date TBD
Palestinians may also be headed to the polls early. The Associated Press reports: “Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says he will implement a court order to dissolve the inactive parliament controlled by the rival Hamas movement. The Palestinian Legislative Council has been divided since the militant Hamas group wrested control of Gaza after deadly fighting with pro-Abbas forces in 2007, a year after it won parliamentary elections.” Abbas has called for elections within six months. Hamas rejected the decision.
A recent poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research found that if Palestinians voted today, “Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas were to square off, the former would win with 49 percent of the vote (up from 45% three month ago) compared to the latter’s 42% (down from 47% three months ago).” The same poll found that “Hamas and Abbas’ Fatah faction are nearly deadlocked with the former projected to receive 35% of the vote (down from 36% three months ago) compared to the latter’s 34% (up from 27% three months ago).”
Afghanistan Presidential – April 20, 2019
Reuters reports: “Afghan President Ashraf Ghani named two former heads of the intelligence services to key security posts in his government on Sunday in a step that could affect both next year’s presidential election and moves toward peace with the Taliban.” The two appointees are seen as critical of Pakistan, and the move could anger both the Pakistani government and the Taliban.
Kabul-based CBS journalist Ahmad Mukhtar considers whether the Taliban are winning in Afghanistan, following the conclusion of direct talks between their leaders and Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, the United States Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation. Direct negotiations with the U.S. and withdrawal of American troops have been the Taliban’s two major demands over the years, and they got both this month.
Algeria Presidential – April 2019
Tunis-based Reuters journalist Lamine Ghanmi: “Uncertainty clouds Bouteflika’s re-election prospects: The confluence of external threats and the uneasy domestic climate holds a destabilizing potential for Algeria.” However, as Freedom House notes: “The 2014 presidential vote was marred by ballot stuffing, multiple voting, inflated electoral rolls, and the misuse of state resources to benefit the incumbent.”
Libya – 2019
Bloomberg reports: “Russia said it supports a political role for the son of deposed Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi, who’s bidding to take over the leadership of the oil-rich North African state….Qaddafi’s son could stand in national elections the United Nations plans to hold next year, though he’s wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges from 2011 including two counts of crimes against humanity.”
Other Regional News and Views
Jordan
Temple University professor Sean Yom and Amman-based researcher Wael Al-Khatib examine Jordan’s growing youth protest movement: “However, beyond anti-austerity frustrations, something else is churning. The tribal foundations of the ruling monarchy are crumbling due to generational turnover, and the rules of politics are radically changing. Our research on youth activismhas highlighted this, showing how today’s upheaval reflects the enduring legacy of the Arab Spring. This is no Islamistresurgence, or revival of civil society associations. Democratic parties remain a non-factor in parliamentary elections. Nor are these upswells of Palestinian nationalism, the boogeyman of Jordan’s security apparatus, which is perennially nervous about a population that is two-thirds Palestinian. Instead, Jordan’s turmoil reveals the raw power of generational identity in catalyzing contentious politics.”
21votes does not necessarily endorse all of the views in all of the linked articles or publications.
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Category: This Week Tags: Afghanistan, Algeria, Gaza, Israel, Jordan, Libya, Palestinian Authority, West Bank