Middle East
Farida Adamu
Understanding The Palestine Problem
“Here we are, despite all the obstacles that you know too well, preparing ourselves to hold parliamentary elections, followed by presidential elections, with the participation of all factions and political parties.” These were the words of President Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine during his virtual address at the 75th UNGA opening session. These promises echoed those […]
Conrad Omodiagbe
Palestine Factions Unite For Proposed Elections
Following peace talks in Turkey last week, opposing factions in Palestine have agreed to hold elections within six months. This development is the latest of many attempts to end more than a decade of infighting between President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah movement and his Islamist rival, Hamas. This decision comes after Israel reached a diplomatic agreement […]
Conrad Omodiagbe
Jordan Dissolves Parliament Ahead Of November Polls
King Abdullah of Jordan has dissolved the parliament which, under constitutional rules, means the government must resign within a week, paving the way for elections in November. The King’s royal order to dissolve parliament was done in two parts with a Royal Decree issued on Sunday, dissolving the Lower House of Parliament and another Royal […]
Farida Adamu
Saudi Arabia: Dissidents Form Opposition Party
For the monarchy in Saudi Arabia, political opposition is criminal, dissent has zero-tolerance and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman rules with an iron hand. However, Salman’s rule does not appear strong enough to deter a group of Saudi dissidents, who have launched an opposition party, the first organised political resistance under his rule. The last […]
Farida Adamu
Issues in Palestine as CSOs Call for Elections
On Tuesday, over 25 groups in Palestine signed a letter to the Chairman of the Palestinian Central Elections Commission ahead of the intra-Palestinian meeting, calling for elections to hold in the sovereign state. “We demand Abbas to issue a presidential decree to set a date for elections in line with the basic law,” Issam Arouri, […]
Conrad Omodiagbe
Iran Picks June 2021 for Presidential Elections
After months of trying to manage rising coronavirus numbers, Iran appears ready to move on politically, announcing June 18, 2020, as the date for the country’s next presidential elections. a vote that will determine who will succeed President Hassan Rouhani, who has served two consecutive four-year terms. The country’s constitutional watchdog, the Guardian Council, approved […]
Farida Adamu
Democracy Watch: Netanyahu Goes to Court
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be appearing in court on Sunday to face criminal prosecution. This is coming almost a week after the Prime Minister and his long time rival, Benny Gantz, agreed to form a unity government. He will be the first prime minister in the history of Israel to face a court trial […]