2 - Egyptian Parliamentary Elections: Between Democratisation and Autocracy
Corresponding Author(s) : Hala G. Thabet
Africa Development,
Vol. 31 No. 3 (2006): Africa Development: Special Issue on Electoral Politic
Abstract
The dissolution of the 1987 and 1990 parliaments, following two Supreme Court rulings that the 1984 and 1987 general elections were unconstitutional, and the transfer of the power to supervise elections from the police to the judiciary signalled an impending political opening, leaving the impression that there was political will to renew the rules governing elections and make them more trans- parent and equitable. The paper uses the 2000 elections to the People’s Assem- bly to assess the democratisation process in Egypt. It examines the extent of inclusion of all social forces and political parties, and of changes in popular participation. It argues that the 2000 elections bore the marks of electoral anoma- lies and manipulations which were characteristic of previous elections. Not- withstanding its flaws the 2000 elections marked a significant step in Egypt’s transition to liberal democracy.
Download Citation
Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS)BibTeX
- Abdel-Aal, Abdel-Rahman, 2000, ‘Independents and the Elections’, Egypt: Parliamentary Issues, November (Arabic).
- Ahmed, Hamdy, 2000, ‘So Democracy Won’t Become Bad...’, Isboua’a Journal
- (The Week) (Egypt), 24 May (Arabic).
- Aly, Sayed, 2000, ‘The 2000 Elections: Real Test for Political Parties’, Egypt: Al-Ahram Daily
- Newspaper, 16 September (Arabic).
- Ebeid, Mona Makram, 2001, ‘Egypt’s 2000 Parliamentary Elections’, The Middle East Policy Council
- Journal (Washington), Vol. 8, No. 2, June, www.mepc.org/ public_asp/journal_vol8/0106_ebeid.asp.
- T‘Electoral Programme of the NDP for the 2000 Parliamentary elections’, www.ndp.org.eg.
- ‘Electoral Programme of Alwafd Party for the 2000 Parliamentary elections’, www.alfad.org.
- ‘Electoral Programmemes for the 2000 elections for Al-Ahrar party, Al-Tagamuu, the Nasserite’
- (Arabic).
- El-Monoufy, Kamal, ed., 1996 People’s Assembly 1995 Elections in Egypt, Cairo, University of Cairo,
- Faculty of Economics and Political Science (Arabic).
- Ebrahim, Tahany, 2000, ‘Elections Bribes’, Akhbar Elyoum Newspaper (News of the Day) (Egypt), 1 August, (Arabic).
- El-Feky, Mustafa, 2000, ‘The Judiciary and the Legislative Elections’, Al Ahram Daily Newspaper
- (Egypt), 31 October (Arabic).
- EOHR - The Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights, 2001, ‘The Human Rights Situation in Egypt:
- Violations of Human Rights 2000-2001, Eighth: Exercising political rights’, Annual Report,
- -2000, 2001 (in Arabic) Cairo, EOHR. Helal, Alieldin, and Osama el-Ghazali Harb, eds., 1992,
- People’s Assembly 1990 Elections, Al-Ahram, Newspaper, Egypt, Center for Political and Strategic
- Studies (Arabic).
- HRW - Human Rights Watch, 2000, ‘Elections in Egypt’, October, http:// www.hrw.org/.
- Kamal, Mustafa, 2000, ‘A Good Opportunity for All Political Parties to Broadcast Their Programmes’,
- Akhbar Elyom (News of the Day) Newspaper (Egypt), 22 July, (Arabic).
- Ministry of Interior, 2001, Official Statistics of the 2000 Parliamentary Elections, Cairo (Arabic).
- Mustafa, Hala, 2001, ‘2000 Elections: General Indicators’, Journal of Democracy, Winter (Arabic).
- Nafie, Ibrahim, 2000, ‘4,000 Candidates Compete for 444 Seats in People’s Assembly’, Al Ahram Daily
- Newspaper (Egypt), 7 October (Arabic).
- Rabea, Amro Hashem, 2001, ‘The Parliamentary Elections: Assessment of the Results’, Al-Ahram Daily
- Newspaper, (Egypt), 26 January (Arabic).
- Rashad, Abdelghafar, 2000, ‘People’s Assembly’s 2000 Elections: Analyses of the General Framework’,
- in Mustafa Elwi, ed., Parliamentary Elections 2000, Cairo, Cairo University and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (in Arabic).
- SIS - State Information Service, 2000, ‘Chances to all Candidates to Introduce their Programmes on
- TV’, 30 September, http://www.sis.gov.eg/online/html2/ 300920p.htm.
- SIS - State Information Service, 2000, ‘Fairness, Equality of Candidates Assured for Coming
- Elections’, 10 September, http://www.sis.gov.eg/online/html2/ o100920a.htm.
- SIS - State Information Service, 2000, ‘Mrs. Mubarak Calls on Women to Vote in Upcoming Polls’, 13
- July. http://www.sis.gov.eg/online/html2/o130720e.htm.
References
Abdel-Aal, Abdel-Rahman, 2000, ‘Independents and the Elections’, Egypt: Parliamentary Issues, November (Arabic).
Ahmed, Hamdy, 2000, ‘So Democracy Won’t Become Bad...’, Isboua’a Journal
(The Week) (Egypt), 24 May (Arabic).
Aly, Sayed, 2000, ‘The 2000 Elections: Real Test for Political Parties’, Egypt: Al-Ahram Daily
Newspaper, 16 September (Arabic).
Ebeid, Mona Makram, 2001, ‘Egypt’s 2000 Parliamentary Elections’, The Middle East Policy Council
Journal (Washington), Vol. 8, No. 2, June, www.mepc.org/ public_asp/journal_vol8/0106_ebeid.asp.
T‘Electoral Programme of the NDP for the 2000 Parliamentary elections’, www.ndp.org.eg.
‘Electoral Programme of Alwafd Party for the 2000 Parliamentary elections’, www.alfad.org.
‘Electoral Programmemes for the 2000 elections for Al-Ahrar party, Al-Tagamuu, the Nasserite’
(Arabic).
El-Monoufy, Kamal, ed., 1996 People’s Assembly 1995 Elections in Egypt, Cairo, University of Cairo,
Faculty of Economics and Political Science (Arabic).
Ebrahim, Tahany, 2000, ‘Elections Bribes’, Akhbar Elyoum Newspaper (News of the Day) (Egypt), 1 August, (Arabic).
El-Feky, Mustafa, 2000, ‘The Judiciary and the Legislative Elections’, Al Ahram Daily Newspaper
(Egypt), 31 October (Arabic).
EOHR - The Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights, 2001, ‘The Human Rights Situation in Egypt:
Violations of Human Rights 2000-2001, Eighth: Exercising political rights’, Annual Report,
-2000, 2001 (in Arabic) Cairo, EOHR. Helal, Alieldin, and Osama el-Ghazali Harb, eds., 1992,
People’s Assembly 1990 Elections, Al-Ahram, Newspaper, Egypt, Center for Political and Strategic
Studies (Arabic).
HRW - Human Rights Watch, 2000, ‘Elections in Egypt’, October, http:// www.hrw.org/.
Kamal, Mustafa, 2000, ‘A Good Opportunity for All Political Parties to Broadcast Their Programmes’,
Akhbar Elyom (News of the Day) Newspaper (Egypt), 22 July, (Arabic).
Ministry of Interior, 2001, Official Statistics of the 2000 Parliamentary Elections, Cairo (Arabic).
Mustafa, Hala, 2001, ‘2000 Elections: General Indicators’, Journal of Democracy, Winter (Arabic).
Nafie, Ibrahim, 2000, ‘4,000 Candidates Compete for 444 Seats in People’s Assembly’, Al Ahram Daily
Newspaper (Egypt), 7 October (Arabic).
Rabea, Amro Hashem, 2001, ‘The Parliamentary Elections: Assessment of the Results’, Al-Ahram Daily
Newspaper, (Egypt), 26 January (Arabic).
Rashad, Abdelghafar, 2000, ‘People’s Assembly’s 2000 Elections: Analyses of the General Framework’,
in Mustafa Elwi, ed., Parliamentary Elections 2000, Cairo, Cairo University and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (in Arabic).
SIS - State Information Service, 2000, ‘Chances to all Candidates to Introduce their Programmes on
TV’, 30 September, http://www.sis.gov.eg/online/html2/ 300920p.htm.
SIS - State Information Service, 2000, ‘Fairness, Equality of Candidates Assured for Coming
Elections’, 10 September, http://www.sis.gov.eg/online/html2/ o100920a.htm.
SIS - State Information Service, 2000, ‘Mrs. Mubarak Calls on Women to Vote in Upcoming Polls’, 13