Sudan: the election law on the Table of dialogue New developments:

The ruling parties, political organizations, and the opposition were engaged into an increasing discussion and intensifying arguments on calls for agreement on the election law that can activate the election process and guarantee its smoothness while allowing the democratic and peaceful alternation of power. The attempts made to reach agreement clashed with differences between the political parties bloc which the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Sudan joined. The Popular movement for the Liberation of Sudan is the second party in the National Unity government. The first is the National Congress Party.

Points of agreement and disagreement:

• The method of representation and election of women.
• What is more useful: the system of geographic constituencies or the proportionate representation?
• The political parties and forces believe that representation should be made at the elections by a rate of 50 per cent in the geographic constituencies and 40 per cent in the case of proportionate representation. Meanwhile, the National Congress believes that the geographic constituencies should be represented by 60 per cent and the proportionate representation by 40 per cent only. The political parties and forces asserted in a statement they issued that the list of proportionate representation should include an equal number of women and men so as to achieve a minimum representation of women at a rate of 25 per cent as members in all parliaments on the national level, the level of southern Sudan, and the level of Wilayas.
•  The National Congress insists that women should run for elections in isolation from the political parties contrary to the views made by the other forces.
• There was an opposition to passing any law in parliament without the approval of the other parties.
• Other forces voiced the view that it was possible to reconcile between their parties and the other political forces, particularly as regards the transformation from the direct system to the mixed system of percentages in the geographic constituencies.
• The election commission made consultations with the political forces to reach transparent election laws that are agreed on and to hold free and fair elections in accordance with the comprehensive peace agreement. It decided to form a working group with the aim of maintaining contacts and follow-up.

By the end of January 2008, the issue of elections in Sudan gained political momentum and was the most important topic discussed in the meetings and seminars held by the political forces. Statements made by Sudanese opposition leaders and the leaders of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Sudan were full of accusations and apprehensions that the government might monopolize the funding of the election campaign. The leaders of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Sudan advised its main partner in the National Unity government, namely, the National Congress Party, to pay attention to the demands of the opposition and announced that it intended to rely on its self-resources to finance its election campaign.

Iraq: Preparations for the local Council elections

New developments:             

In mid January 2008, the Higher Independent Commission for the Elections in cooperation with the Ministry of Health singled out the names of the deceased Iraqis in order to delete them in the future from the lists of voters in Baghdad and the other Iraqi governorates so as to forestall any confusion or rigging of the elections, provided that the Operations Department would follow up these names that were indexed in the lists of voters and delete them.

Morocco: Consultations on the Holding of the municipal elections And recommendations to amend the Electoral law

New Developments:

The Interior Minister has advised the leaders of the political parties that are represented in parliament of the draft amendments introduced to the Law on local elections intended to be held in 2009. A series of meeting were held between the Interior Ministry officials and leaders of these political parties.

A statement issued by the Interior Ministry said that the leaders of the political parties participating in these meetings discussed the legal and technical aspects of the elections so as to reach conclusions that can provide the appropriate circumstances for making the upcoming elections succeed and for turning these elections into a distinguished asset that can support and give momentum to the decentralized system in the Kingdom of Morocco.

The statement added that during these meetings, several topics were discussed, including the preparations for the upcoming elections, the election lists, the pattern of elections, improving the collective charter, and the division of constituencies in the country.

It was pointed out that the discussion led to agreement on the broadlines of the reforms intended to be introduced in the next phase. Such reforms would provide the legal and organizational mechanisms that can guarantee the holding of healthy elections.

Moreover, extreme attention has been paid to the improvement of the elections lists. Nonetheless, the question remains outstanding on the best choice for doing this.

Reference was also made to the possibility of discussing, if deemed necessary, the question of the method of polling in force in the elections. It is noteworthy that the goal behind each reform in this chapter should be viewed within the context of a comprehensive outlook that takes into account a review of the incumbent charter and suitability of the administrative and electoral distribution linked with it.

Yemen: Dialogue with opposition Leaders on elections and Constitutional amendments

New developments:

The ruling General Popular Congress party has voiced its preparedness to enter into a political dialogue with the opposition parties on the formation of the Higher Committee for the Elections whose legal mandate expired two months ago. The re-formation of the committee requires the approval of parliament. Chief of the Media Department at the Popular Congress Party, Tariq El Shami, said that his party was prepared for dialogue and for reconciliation on the issues that concern the country, whether as regards the higher committee for elections or the draft constitutional amendments which were proposed by President Ali Abdallah Salih last September.

He pointed out that the ruling party will continue to support dialogue because it has a strong belief that dialogue is the foundation stone and the ideal method for the resolution of problems and reaching accord on the issues that are important for the country, whether as regards the Higher Committee for Elections or the referendum or the constitutional amendments.

Shami pointed out that the agreement on principle signed by his party and the opposition parties on 18 June 2006 before the holding of the presidential and local elections in the country stated that a Higher Committee for Elections should be formed of judges so as to guarantee that the committee can perform its duties even-handedly.  

On the constitutional amendments, El Shami said that the Popular Congress Party has proposed the amendments to the public and to the civil society organizations, particularly the political parties of the opposition. He called on everyone to present his perceptions and views on these amendments so as to enrich them for the sake of the national interests. He said that his party had no objections or reservations to accepting any positive perception on these amendments. He added that it is essential and useful to reach agreement is reached on these amendments.

Algeria: The presidential Elections and the possibility Of nominating Boutaflika for a Third term of office

New developments:

The National Liberation Front has called on President Abdul Aziz Boutaflika to nominate himself for a third term in 2009. There was agreement within the National Liberation Front on reviewing the constitution to allow for a third term of presidential office for the leader of the National Liberation Front party, President Abdul Aziz Bouteflika.

The current constitution in force allows two consecutive presidential terms of five years each. President Bouteflika was elected for the first time in 1999 and was re-elected in 2004.

Palestine: Dialogue on the Possibility of early presidential And legislative elections

New developments:

Hot discussions continued among the political forces on the possibility of holding early parliamentary and presidential elections. There were people who rejected and people who supported the idea in the two movements of Fatah and HAMAS.

• Members of the Revolutionary Council of the Fatah Movement rejected the idea of delegating the members of the sixth General Congress of the Fatah Movement to elect new leaders.
• The results of a public opinion poll published in early January 2008 showed that the majority of the Palestinian people supported the conclusion of an agreement between the Fatah and HAMAS movements over the holding of early elections so as to overcome the current Palestinian crisis. A total of 71.01 per cent of those included in the poll, numbering 25,399 people, supported the idea of an agreement between the Fatah and HAMAS movements to hold early elections to overcome the current crisis compared to 2,734 who did not support the early elections.

Egypt: Ramifications of the Elections of the Alexandria judges

Results of the elections:

Counselor Isma'il Adham El Basyuni has won victory as President of the Alexandria Judges Club against Counselor Mahmud Rida El Khudayri by a difference of 34 votes in the elections that were held on 5 January 2008. The number of the ballots that were cast totaled 1,104 ballots.

The El Basyuni list won eight seas that included the seat of the president, the three seats of the counselors, one seat for the judges and presidents of courts, and three seats for the public prosecution while El Khudayri's list won seven seats that included one seat for the pensioners, four seats for the court presidents and judges and two seats for the public prosecution.

Strong calls were made during these elections that general elections should be held under international supervision after the role of the judges in supervising fair and free elections was minimized.

Lebanon: Continuous postponement Of the presidential elections

Prelude:

The Lebanese arena has not witnessed any developments that could contribute to the resolution of the Lebanese crisis and the election of a president of the republic. In January 2008, further delays were made of the election of a president.

New developments:

• The sessions of the National Assembly [Parliament] were postponed more than once for the purpose of making consultations and discussions.
• The new postponement is the 13^th since the beginning of the constitutional period stipulated for the election of the president.
• Arab countries supported the idea of electing General Michel Sulayman as a conciliatory president for Lebanon and of immediate agreement to form a national unity government in accordance with the constitutional procedures.

The mechanism of the election of the president according to the constitution:

Article 73:

Article 73 was amended in accordance with the constitutional law issued on 17 October 1927 and the constitutional law issued on 22 May 1948 in the following manner:

Before the expiry of the term of the president of the republic, by a minimum of one month or a maximum of two months, the National Assembly should convene at the invitation of its speaker to elect the new president. If the National Assembly is not invited for this purpose, it should meet on the 10^th day which precedes the expiry of the term of the president, and its meeting shall be considered as legal.

Article 74: Article 74 was amended in accordance with the constitutional law issued on 17 October 1927 in the following manner:

If the presidential post becomes vacant as a result of the death or resignation of the president or for any other reason, the National Assembly shall meet immediately, and its meeting shall be considered as legal. If the presidential post becomes vacant while the National Assembly was out of session, the electoral bodies should be invited without any delay. The meeting of the National Assembly shall be considered as legal.

Article 75: Article 75 was amended in accordance with the constitutional law issued on 17 October 1927 in the following manner:   

The National Assembly meeting to elect the president of the republic is considered an electoral commission not a legislative commission. Consequently, it should proceed immediately in electing the head of the state without discussion or any other action.