August 23, 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.
Israel’s Knesset (parliament) building. Photo credit: Wikimedia/James Emery (CC BY 2.0)
Upcoming Middle East Elections
Kuwait Snap Parliamentary Elections: September 29, 2022
The Economist (August 25, 2022): The world’s oldest crown prince nears the throne of Kuwait: Gerontocracy is holding the emirate back
Iraq, Kurdistan Regional Elections: October 1, 2022 (delays possible)
Rudaw (August 25, 2022): Iraqi top court ruling against Kurdistan Region oil, gas a ‘symptom’ of political crisis
Dana Taib Menmy, The New Arab (August 24, 2022): Writing draft constitution is pretext for postponing elections: Kurdish opposition parties
Israel Snap Parliamentary Elections, Take 5: November 1, 2022
Mazal Muaelm, Al-Monitor (August 25, 2022): Iran’s nuclear program casts shadow on Israeli election: Prime Minister Yair Lapid finds himself in a difficult spot as reports insist the United States is closer to signing a nuclear deal with Iran
Miriam Berger, Washington Post (August 25, 2022): Israel’s Arab citizens, key to Netanyahu’s fate, debate worth of voting
Alon Pinkas, Haaretz (August 24, 2022): How and Why Israelis Stopped Voting for the Left: Five reasons that help explain the demise of the Israeli left in the 21st century, from identity politics to the peace process
Eliav Breuer, Jerusalem Post (August 24, 2022): Israel elections: With primary elections over, focus returns to mergers: Will Meretz merge with Labor? Will Religious Zionist Party fold to Itamar Ben-Gvir’s demands?
Mohammad Al-Kassim, Media Line (August 24, 2022): Israel Accuses Palestinian Authority of Meddling in Its Election
Times of Israel (August 22, 2022): Shin Bet said to warn Palestinian Authority to stay out of Israel’s elections
Omar Rabie, i24News (August 21, 2022): The roots of Israel’s system of government and method of elections
Tunisia Early Legislative Elections: December 17, 2022 (following a July 25, 2022 constitutional referendum)
Lisa Bryant, Voice of America (August 25, 2022): Tunisia’s Islamists Face Uncertain Future
Zied Boussen and Malek Lakhal, Arab Reform Initiative (August 23, 2022): Tunisia in the wake of the referendum: A new divisive Constitution
Libya Parliamentary and Presidential Elections: Delayed from December 2021 – date TBD
AFP (August 23, 2022): UN urges ‘immediate de-escalation’ in Libya
Ufuk Necat Tasci, The New Arab (August 19, 2022): Selected, not elected: Libya’s multifaceted struggle for power
Turkey General Elections: By June 18, 2023 (snap elections possible)
The Economist (August 25, 2022): The connection between Russian sanctions and bizarre Turkish monetary policy: Russian cash has uses beyond the obvious
Kristina Jovanovski, The Media Line (August 23, 2022): Turkey’s Erdogan softening Syria rhetoric with eye toward upcoming election: A faltering economy has forced Ankara to improve relations with other countries.
Steven A. Cook, Council on Foreign Relations (August 23, 2022): How Israel and Turkey Benefit From Restoring Relations
Batu Coskun, The Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington (August 22, 2022): Why Turkey’s Elections Matter for the Gulf: After a year of reconciliation efforts between Ankara and Gulf capitals, looming elections threaten to cast a shadow on those recently restored relationships.
Nevzat Devranoglu and Orhan Coskun, Reuters (August 22, 2022): Erdogan’s plan to manage Turkey’s economic crisis gets summer reprieve
Hamdi Firat Buyuk, Balkan Insight (August 22, 2022): Turkish Opposition to Run Joint Candidate Against President Erdogan: Six opposition parties in Turkey said that they will nominate a joint candidate in a bid to end 20-year rule of Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the 2023 presidential elections.
Pakistan General Elections: By October 12, 2023 (snap elections possible)
Mihir Sharma, Washington Post (August 25, 2022): Pakistan Can’t Afford Another Political Crisis
Bloomberg (August 24, 2022): Imran Khan’s Street Politics Sets Up Showdown With Army
Munir Ahmed, The Diplomat (August 24, 2022): Pakistan Court Summons Ex-PM Khan in Contempt Case Next Week
Past Middle East Elections
Lebanon Parliamentary Elections: May 15, 2022
Najia Houssari, Arab News (August 25, 2022): Lebanon yet to form government as countdown to presidential election begins
Adnan Nasser, Carnegie Endowment (August 25, 2022): Lebanese Forces Party Confronts Post-Election Challenges
Iraq Early Parliamentary Elections: October 10, 2021
John Davidson and Ahmed Rasheed, Arab Weekly (August 24, 2022): Concerns mount as Sadr-Iran rift threatens further instability in Iraq
The New Arab (August 24, 2022): The Iraq Report: Sadr subverts his own election victory
David Schenker, Foreign Policy (August 24, 2022): Biden’s Indifference Has Given Iran the Upper Hand in Iraq: The country’s fragile postwar democracy is threatened like never before
Qassim Abdul-Zahra, AP (August 23, 2022): Iraq Shiite cleric’s supporters demand assembly be dissolved
Mustafa Saadoun, Al-Monitor (August 19, 2022): Will Iraq’s Sunnis, Kurds support early elections? Iraq’s Sunni and Kurdish forces are closely watching developments between the Sadrist movement and the Coordination Framework, so as to take a political position on whether to dissolve parliament and hold early elections
Amina Ismail, Reuters (August 19, 2022): As Iraqi protesters rally, political deadlock leaves families without cash
Baria Alamuddin, Arab News (August 22, 2022): Civil war looms as Iraqis call time on power-grabbing militants
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)
Israel Snap Parliamentary Elections: November 1, 2022
Bahrain Parliamentary Elections: November 2022 (due)
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
21votes does not necessarily agree with all of the opinions expressed in the linked articles; rather, our goal is to curate a wide range of voices. Furthermore, none of the individuals or organizations referenced have reviewed 21votes’ content, and their inclusion should not be taken to imply that they endorse us in any way. More on our approach here.
Middle East This Week: August 23, 2022
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Last Updated: August 31, 2022 by 21votes
August 23, 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.
Upcoming Middle East Elections
Kuwait Snap Parliamentary Elections: September 29, 2022
The Economist (August 25, 2022): The world’s oldest crown prince nears the throne of Kuwait: Gerontocracy is holding the emirate back
Iraq, Kurdistan Regional Elections: October 1, 2022 (delays possible)
Rudaw (August 25, 2022): Iraqi top court ruling against Kurdistan Region oil, gas a ‘symptom’ of political crisis
Dana Taib Menmy, The New Arab (August 24, 2022): Writing draft constitution is pretext for postponing elections: Kurdish opposition parties
Israel Snap Parliamentary Elections, Take 5: November 1, 2022
Mazal Muaelm, Al-Monitor (August 25, 2022): Iran’s nuclear program casts shadow on Israeli election: Prime Minister Yair Lapid finds himself in a difficult spot as reports insist the United States is closer to signing a nuclear deal with Iran
Miriam Berger, Washington Post (August 25, 2022): Israel’s Arab citizens, key to Netanyahu’s fate, debate worth of voting
Alon Pinkas, Haaretz (August 24, 2022): How and Why Israelis Stopped Voting for the Left: Five reasons that help explain the demise of the Israeli left in the 21st century, from identity politics to the peace process
Eliav Breuer, Jerusalem Post (August 24, 2022): Israel elections: With primary elections over, focus returns to mergers: Will Meretz merge with Labor? Will Religious Zionist Party fold to Itamar Ben-Gvir’s demands?
Mohammad Al-Kassim, Media Line (August 24, 2022): Israel Accuses Palestinian Authority of Meddling in Its Election
Times of Israel (August 22, 2022): Shin Bet said to warn Palestinian Authority to stay out of Israel’s elections
Omar Rabie, i24News (August 21, 2022): The roots of Israel’s system of government and method of elections
Tunisia Early Legislative Elections: December 17, 2022 (following a July 25, 2022 constitutional referendum)
Lisa Bryant, Voice of America (August 25, 2022): Tunisia’s Islamists Face Uncertain Future
Zied Boussen and Malek Lakhal, Arab Reform Initiative (August 23, 2022): Tunisia in the wake of the referendum: A new divisive Constitution
Libya Parliamentary and Presidential Elections: Delayed from December 2021 – date TBD
AFP (August 23, 2022): UN urges ‘immediate de-escalation’ in Libya
Ufuk Necat Tasci, The New Arab (August 19, 2022): Selected, not elected: Libya’s multifaceted struggle for power
Turkey General Elections: By June 18, 2023 (snap elections possible)
The Economist (August 25, 2022): The connection between Russian sanctions and bizarre Turkish monetary policy: Russian cash has uses beyond the obvious
Kristina Jovanovski, The Media Line (August 23, 2022): Turkey’s Erdogan softening Syria rhetoric with eye toward upcoming election: A faltering economy has forced Ankara to improve relations with other countries.
Steven A. Cook, Council on Foreign Relations (August 23, 2022): How Israel and Turkey Benefit From Restoring Relations
Batu Coskun, The Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington (August 22, 2022): Why Turkey’s Elections Matter for the Gulf: After a year of reconciliation efforts between Ankara and Gulf capitals, looming elections threaten to cast a shadow on those recently restored relationships.
Nevzat Devranoglu and Orhan Coskun, Reuters (August 22, 2022): Erdogan’s plan to manage Turkey’s economic crisis gets summer reprieve
Hamdi Firat Buyuk, Balkan Insight (August 22, 2022): Turkish Opposition to Run Joint Candidate Against President Erdogan: Six opposition parties in Turkey said that they will nominate a joint candidate in a bid to end 20-year rule of Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the 2023 presidential elections.
Pakistan General Elections: By October 12, 2023 (snap elections possible)
Mihir Sharma, Washington Post (August 25, 2022): Pakistan Can’t Afford Another Political Crisis
Bloomberg (August 24, 2022): Imran Khan’s Street Politics Sets Up Showdown With Army
Munir Ahmed, The Diplomat (August 24, 2022): Pakistan Court Summons Ex-PM Khan in Contempt Case Next Week
Past Middle East Elections
Lebanon Parliamentary Elections: May 15, 2022
Najia Houssari, Arab News (August 25, 2022): Lebanon yet to form government as countdown to presidential election begins
Adnan Nasser, Carnegie Endowment (August 25, 2022): Lebanese Forces Party Confronts Post-Election Challenges
Iraq Early Parliamentary Elections: October 10, 2021
John Davidson and Ahmed Rasheed, Arab Weekly (August 24, 2022): Concerns mount as Sadr-Iran rift threatens further instability in Iraq
The New Arab (August 24, 2022): The Iraq Report: Sadr subverts his own election victory
David Schenker, Foreign Policy (August 24, 2022): Biden’s Indifference Has Given Iran the Upper Hand in Iraq: The country’s fragile postwar democracy is threatened like never before
Qassim Abdul-Zahra, AP (August 23, 2022): Iraq Shiite cleric’s supporters demand assembly be dissolved
Mustafa Saadoun, Al-Monitor (August 19, 2022): Will Iraq’s Sunnis, Kurds support early elections? Iraq’s Sunni and Kurdish forces are closely watching developments between the Sadrist movement and the Coordination Framework, so as to take a political position on whether to dissolve parliament and hold early elections
Amina Ismail, Reuters (August 19, 2022): As Iraqi protesters rally, political deadlock leaves families without cash
Baria Alamuddin, Arab News (August 22, 2022): Civil war looms as Iraqis call time on power-grabbing militants
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)
Israel Snap Parliamentary Elections: November 1, 2022
Bahrain Parliamentary Elections: November 2022 (due)
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
21votes does not necessarily agree with all of the opinions expressed in the linked articles; rather, our goal is to curate a wide range of voices. Furthermore, none of the individuals or organizations referenced have reviewed 21votes’ content, and their inclusion should not be taken to imply that they endorse us in any way. More on our approach here.
Category: This Week Tags: Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Pakistan, Tunisia, Turkey