Egypt's Historic Elections Begin
November 29, 2011
On November 28, Egyptians began voting in the first parliamentary elections since the January 25 revolution. November 28 marked the beginning of Phase I of the People’s Assembly elections; Phases II and III are set to take place in December and January, respectively. Voting for the Shura Council will commence on January 29 and end on March 11, also taking place in three phases. This parliament will be tasked with selecting the 100-person constitutional assembly that will draft Egypt’s constitution. The constitution will determine key issues in Egypt’s democratic transition such as procedures for electing the president, responsibilities of the executive branch, and rights and freedoms for all Egyptians.
Elections,
Constitutional Law
Tunisia: Voting for the 'First' Time
October 24, 2011
Tunisia held the country’s first free and fair election on 23 October. Millions of Tunisians went to the polls to cast their ballots for the National Constituent Assembly, which will have one year to write a new constitution. Excitement was high as the country that ignited the Arab Spring was also the first of those countries to hold an election. The counting of ballots, which was done by poll workers, went on into the night as election observers watched the process.
Elections,
Constitutional Law
Kyrgyzstan: The Dawn of a Democratic Era?
November 23, 2010
On June 27, 2010 Kyrgyzstan adopted a new constitution via nationwide referendum. Introducing a new or revised governing charter has been nothing new for the Central Asian republic—it has seen several since its independence in 1991. This new constitution, however, appears to be ushering in a new era for the country, as it provides for a first-ever parliamentary system that would allow power to be decentralized and shared among different political parties.
Political Parties,
Constitutional Law,
Elections,
Rule of Law
Kyrgyzstan's Democratic Experiment
November 17, 2010
On June 27, 2010 Kyrgyzstan adopted a new constitution via nationwide referendum. Introducing a new or revised governing charter was nothing new for the Central Asian republic—they have seen many since their independence in 1991. This new constitution, however, ushered in a new era for the country as it established a parliamentary system that would allow power to be decentralized and shared among different political parties.
Elections,
Election Procedures,
Election Disputes,
Election Law,
Constitutional Law