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- Title
REVOLUTION WITHOUT REFORM? A CRITIQUE OF EGYPT'S ELECTION LAWS.
- Authors
AZIZ, SAHAR F.
- Abstract
This Article compares Egypt '5 election laws before and after the Janu-ary 25 Revolution to determine whether the changes are sufficient to pro-duce the structural reforms Egyptians demand. This Article concludes that Egyptian elections processes and institutions remain insufficiently transparent, fail to produce results reflecting the diversity within Egyp-tian society, and fail to offer all Egyptians--especially women and relig-ious minorities--an equal opportunity to actively participate in governance of their country. The Article critically assesses recent changes in Egypt's electoral regime and considers whether Egypt had a revolution without reform. The the-sis is twofold. First, the post-revolution amendments worsen prospects for Egyptian women and Coptics to be elected to office, thereby further marginalizing them in the public sphere. Such adverse consequences are troubling in light of the significant contributions Egyptian women and Coptics made to the revolution. Second, the limited post-revolution reforms made to election laws are insufficient to produce the sustainable and meaningful democracy sought by Egyptians. Existing post-revolu-tion laws fail to create transparent and independent processes that facili-tate a level playing field among candidates and voter confidence in election outcomes Nonetheless, in this early stage of the post-revolutionary phase, there is reason for cautious optimism. While Egyptian election laws have been amended for the better since the revolution, more legislative reforms are needed to ensure that future elections are fair, free, and accessible to all Egyptians. Sound election laws are the bedrock of a democracy insofar as they ensure that a dominant party does not extend its rule against the will of the people. As witnessed with the National Democratic Party under the Mubarak regime, laws can be manipulated to guarantee cer-tain electoral outcomes benefitting the dominant party
- Subjects
EGYPT; ELECTION law; POLITICAL change; RELIGIOUS minorities; OPTIMISM; LEGISLATIVE amendments; ELECTIONS; DEMOCRACY; NATIONAL Democratic Party (Political party : Egypt); EGYPTIANS
- Publication
George Washington International Law Review, 2013, Vol 45, Issue 1, p1
- ISSN
1534-9977
- Publication type
Article