Elections Summaries for POLS 168 -- Middle East Politics (Fall 2007)

Jordanian elections

Parliamentary Elections  

Chronology

November 2007:  Parliamentary elections scheduled.

June 2003: After three postponements, parliamentary elections. Official turnout – 58.8% Number of seats in the parliament increased to 110 from 80, including 6 reserved seats for women (if no women win, as none did in this election, the six women with the highest percentage of the vote among all the women running in all districts get the seats), 9 for Christians, 3 for Circassians. Islamist candidates tended to run first in their districts, particularly in Amman and the north.

June 2001: King Abdallah II dissolves parliament at end of its four-year term in preparation for new elections, which are then postponed

February 1999: King Hussein dies, succeeded by King Abdallah II

November 1997: Parliamentary elections, boycotted by Islamic Action Front -- turnout 44%

September 1997: Revision of liberal Press Law, 13 opposition newspapers shut down

October 1994: Jordan-Israel peace treaty

November 1993: Parliamentary elections -- 52% turnout

August 1993: Election law changed by cabinet decree, from multiple votes per voter (as many as there were seats alloted to the district) to one vote per voter. Aimed at reducing the Islamist groups strength in parliament.

1992: Political parties legalized

June 1991: "National Charter" setting rules of Jordanian electoral experiment

November 1989: Parliamentary elections -- 41% turnout

April 1989: Austerity measures trigger rioting in southern Jordan; King

Turkish elections

(parties must receive 10% of the national vote to obtain seats in parliament)

Parties

(left = came out of socialist camp in Turkish politics in 1970's, though none of the left parties are doctrinaire socialist now; right = came out of conservative camp in Turkish politics in 1970's, now more identified with free market policies; secular = supportive of Ataturk legacy of complete separation of religion and politics; Islamist = opposed to Ataturk legacy of complete separation of religion and politics)

Democratic Left -- left, secular
Republican People's -- left, secular
Motherland -- right, secular
True Path -- right, secular
Democratic Party -- merger of the Motherland and True Path parties in 2007
National Action -- right, very nationalist, but sympathetic toward Islam (renamed National Movement in 2007)
Welfare/Virtue/Felicity -- Islamist
Justice and Development (AKP) – reformist/Islamist
HADEP -- pro-Kurdish
DTP -- Democratic Society Party – pro-Kurdish running as independents in 2007

Governments

August 2007:  AKP forms a single-party government; Erdogan remains at Prime Minister

November 2002:  AKP forms a single-party government; for a few months Abdallah Gul as Prime Minister, then AKP leader Recep Tayyib Erdogan as Prime Minister

June 1999: PM Bulent Ecevit of Democratic Left forms a government with Democratic Left, National Action and Motherland parties

February 1999: Capture of Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan.

January 1999: Bulent Ecevit of Democratic Left named Prime Minister of a caretaker government to prepare for April 1999 elections.

January 1998: Constitutional Court disbands Welfare Party on grounds that it is a religious party, bans Erbekan from political life. Party reorganizes under name Virtue party.

June 1997: Army forces Erbekan to resign as Prime Minister. Mesut Yilmaz named PM, forms government with his Motherland party, Democratic Left and Republican People's parties.

June 1996: PM Necmettin Erbekan of Welfare forms government with True Path. First Islamist PM in Turkish history.

June 1996: Mesut Yilmaz resigns as PM as True Path leaves coalition.

1995: PM Mesut Yilmaz of Motherland forms a government with True Path.

Israeli elections

Israeli Elections -- Knesset

 
Parties

(left = willing to consider territorial compromise; right = unwilling to consider territorial compromise; religious = strongly committed to application of Jewish law and government support for religious institutions; Ashzenazi = Israelis of European descent; Sephardi = Israelis of Middle Eastern descent; secularist = opposed to strong religious influence in government)

Labor  -- center-left
Kadima -- center-right party formed by Ariel Sharon over split in Likud over unilateral withdrawal from Gaza in 2005
Likud -- center-right
Meretz -- left
National Religious Party -- religious-Ashkenazi, right, strong settler representation  
Shas -- religious-Sephardi, no strong position on territorial issue
United Torah Judaism -- religious-Ashkenazi, no strong position on territorial issue
Yisrael B'Aliyah -- Russian immigrants party
Third Way -- center
Moledet -- strong right, banned as rascist party by Israeli Supreme Court before 1999 elections  
Hadash (Communist) -- Jewish-Arab constituency, outgrowth of old Communist party, heavy Arab vote    
Arab Democratic Party -- Arab
Tsomet -- strong right 
Shinui -- strongly secularist                        
Center Party -- center, leaders broke away from Likud before 1999 elections 
National Union – strongly righ
Israel , Our Home -- Russian immigrants  
National Democratic Alliance -- Arab
One Nation -- center
Balad – Arab party headed by Azmi Bishara, break-off of Arab Democratic Party

Israeli Elections -- Prime Minister (after the 1992 election, constitutional changes occurred in Israel that made the Prime Minister directly elected by popular vote, rather than by the Knesset.  After the 2001 election for prime minister, this system was dropped, and prime minister was once again elected by the Knesset).

1996

 
1999

2001

  *  = incumbent

Governments

March 2006-present:  Kadima-led government under PM Ehud Olmert, includes Labor, Shas and Pensioners' Party.

2005-06:  Kadima-led government with Labor, under PM Ariel Sharon, after split in Likud over Sharon plan for unilateral withdrawal from Gaza.

2003-05:  Likud-led government under PM Ariel Sharon.  Parties include Likud, Shinui, National Religious Party, National Union Party.

2001-03:  Coalition government under PM Ariel Sharon.  Parties included Likud, Labor, Shas, a number of smaller parties.

1999-2001:  Labor-led government under PM Ehud Barak.  Parties included Labor, Meretz, Shas, Yisrael B'Aliyah, Center, National Religious Party.

1996-99:  Likud-led government under PM Binyamin Netanyahu.  Parties included Likud, National Religious Party, Shas, United Torah Judaism, Yisrael B'Aliyah.

1992-96:  Labor-led government under PM Yitzhak Rabin (until his assassination in 1995) and Shimon Peres (until 1996 elections).  Parties included Labor, Meretz, Shas, United Torah Judaism.

Kuwaiti Elections

Parliamentary Elections

There are 50 elected members of the Kuwaiti parliament.  The Kuwaiti constitution also gives unelected government ministers a vote in parliament.

Electoral Blocs

Islamic Constitutional Movement – Muslim Brotherhood, Sunni

Salafi-Sunni – similar to Saudi “Wahhabi” movement.  In 1992 ran as “Popular Islamic Alignment.”  In following elections split into two groups, Society for the Revival of Heritage (“traditional salafis”) and the Salafi Movement (“new salafis”)

National Islamic Coalition – Shi’i

Democratic Platform – Liberal/Arab nationalist

Independent opposition – in 1992, members of the dissolved 1986 assembly that ran as a loose bloc.  After that election, usually members from tribal districts who had come out against some elements of government policy.  In 2006 there were two independent opposition blocs, the “Popular Action Bloc” of former speaker Ahmad al-Saadoun and the “National Action Bloc” of independent representatives from the old confines of Kuwait City, who worry about tribal representation.  The latter are the least “anti-government” of the blocs which ran in favor of reducing the number of parliamentary districts.

In 2006, the various groups formed into three real blocs:  The Islamist Bloc, which has 17 seats; the Popular Grouping, led by the Saadoun faction plus the National Islamic Coalition, which has 9 seats; and the National Action Bloc, all Sunni from within the walls, no tribals, includes liberals and independents, which has 8 seats.  These three groups together formed the opposition in the election and favored the reduction in the number of parliamentary districts.

Egyptian elections

Parliamentary Elections
                                                                        

Parties

National Democratic Party (al-hizb al-watani al-dimuqrati):  The governing party

Muslim Brotherhood (al-ikhwan al-muslimin):  Officially outlawed but tolerated group, cannot run candidates as a party but runs them as "independents."

Wafd (al-wafd):  Successor to the dominant party of Egypt's monarchical period (1921-1952).  Secular nationalist and liberal.

Socialist Labor Party (hizb al-'amal al-ishtiraki):  Formed by President Sadat as the "official" leftist opposition to the NDP in the late 1970's.  Became more Islamist over time in an effort to gain popular support.  Only time it gained seats was when it was in an unofficial electoral coalition with the Muslim Brotherhood.

Liberal Party (hizb al-ahrar):  Formed by President Sadat as the "official" rightist opposition to the NDP in the late 1970's.

Progressive Unionist Party (hizb al-tagammu' al-taqaddumi):  Left-wing.

Arab Democratic Nasserist Party.  In 2005 seeking license as the Karama (Dignity) Party:  Nasserists.

Al-Ghad (Tomorrw) Party:  Liberal, founded by Ayman Nour.

Presidential Election (in 2005 President Mubarak, bowing to American and domestic pressure, ordered a constitutional change to allow direct election to the presidency, which has previously been elected by parliament).

September 2005

Turnout:  23%

Algerian elections

Parliamentary elections

*First round only.  Second round not held after military coup of January 1992.
**Ruling coalition going into the 2007 elections (won 64% of seats)

Parties (more than one seat in any election)

National Liberation Front (FLN) -- governing party from independence, secular nationalist

Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) -- Islamist opposition, banned after military coup of 1991

Movement of National Reform (al-Islah) -- moderate Islamist party headed by Abdullah Djaballah, founded after he lost the leadership of the Islamic Renaissance Movement (al-Nahda) in 1999

Democratic National Rally -- party created by then President Lamine Zeroual, secular nationalist

Movement of the Society for Peace -- moderate Islamist, formerly known as Hamas.  Tolerated by the regime.

Workers Party -- socialist

Algerian National Front -- if anybody can figure out what this party is about, please let me know

Islamic Renaissance Movement (al-Nahda) -- moderate Islamist, tolerated by the regime.

Front of Socialist Forces -- Berber party headed by Hocine Ait Ahmed, socialist

Rally for Culture and Democracy -- Berber party headed by Said Saadi, strongly secularist

Iranian elections

Parliamentary elections

(results approximate, as factions are not formal party lists)

April 1992 – Guardian Council disqualifies more than 1,000 candidates, many from the Islamic left and more radical Islamic right.   Rafsanjani and Khamene’i support “Islamic right” (Combatant Clergy Association) on a platform of economic reform, opposed by the “Islamic left” (Combatant Clergy Group).

March 1996 – Guardian Council disqualifies more than 40% of proposed candidates.  Rafsanjani splits with Khamene’i and supports his own candidates (Servants of Construction).

February 2000 – Guardian Council eliminates about 600 candidates, fewer than 10%.  Islamic left and centrists basically coalesce with pro-Khatami, more liberal members to form solid center/liberal bloc (2^nd of Khordad bloc).

February 2004 – Guardian Council disqualifies over 2,000 candidates, about one-quarter of those who put their names forward.  Islamic right is a mix of supporters of Khamene’i and more populist conservatives more similar to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who would win the 2005 presidential race.  Turnout put at 60% by state media, but only 50% by Interior Ministry, after boycott call by more liberal politicians.

Presidential elections

1997 (turnout:  84%)

2001 (turnout:  63%)

2005 first round (turnout:  63%)

2005 second round (turnout:  60%)

Iraqi elections

Parliamentary elections

Iraqi Constituent Assembly Election, January 2005 and National Assemby Election, December 2005

                                                                                                            January 1995                            December 2005

 
Parties/Groups

SAIRI -- Supreme Assembly of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (also known in English as SCIRI, Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq).  Shi'a group, founded in exile in Iran during the Iran-Iraq War.  Headed by Abd al-Aziz al-Hakim.  Changed name in 2007 to Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council (SIIC).

Da'wa -- Iraqi Shi'a group founded in the late 1950's.

KDP -- Kurdish Democratic Party, affiliated with the Barazani family

PUK -- Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, break-off from KDP, headed by Jalal Talabani

Palestinian Legislative Election -- 2006

Parties/Groups

Change and Reform -- The electoral list of Hamas, the Movement of Islamic Opposition

Fatah -- The long-time dominant force in Palestinian nationalist politics, founded by Yasir Arafat

Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine -- Secular, leftist nationalist group.  Ran under the banner of "Martyr Abu Ali Mustafa List," a party leader killed by the Israelis

The Alternative -- electoral grouping of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Palestine People's Party (communist), the Palestine Democratic Union and independents.  All are secular, leftist nationalist groups
 
Independent Palestine -- party of Mustafa Barghouti, who had run against Mahmoud Abbas for president of the Palestinian Authority in 2005.  Anti-corruption, secular.

Third Way -- party of Salam Fayyad, then the Finance Minister (became Prime Minister in the Fatah government after the Gaza uprising of 2007) and Hanan Ashrawi, famous as the Palestinian spokeswoman at the Madrid Conference.  Secular, reformist, democratic.

Electoral System

Palestinian voters in 2006 actually cast two ballots.  The first ballot was for a party list.  Half of the seats in the parliament were awarded proportionally based upon the total vote for the various party lists.  The second ballot was for representatives in the 16 geographical districts in the West Bank and Gaza.  Some of those districts are multiple-member districts; some are single member districts.  Voters could choose as many candidates as there were seats in the district.  While Fatah and Hamas were very nearly even on the proportional vote, Hamas did much better than Fatah in the districts.  Hamas ran a more disciplined campaign, putting up only as many Hamas candidates as there were seats in the district.  Fatah members and sympathizers, along with members of other secular parties, tended to split the district votes, allowing Hamas candidates to win.