Rethinking Arab Democratic Transitions Democratic Gains Challenges 1

• • Rethinking Arab Democratic Transitions Democratic Gains Challenges: 1 - Political Islam 2 - Gender 3 - Alternation of Power 4 - Human rights

• Limitations of Theory • Peculiarities • Exceptionalism

• Frequency • close to 50 elections b/w 1989 -1999 5 per year • Participation • voter turnout = 80%+ • voting age lowered to 18 in many Arab states • Contestation • multiparty elections • opposition field candidates • Habituation • voting rights exercised • voter rolls • regularity of voting

• 1 - Political Islam • Caveats • Explaining the “impasse” • Islamizing democracy? Democratizing Islam? • PI in the Democratic Process

• IAF (Jordan) approximates a political party • Cadres mostly civil not religious or both • Democratic procedures inside front • Alternation of leadership • Broad consultation, deliberation & aggregation of political preferences

• 2 - Gender • Inclusive Politics • Away from “state feminism” • Women and the electoral process

Jordanian National Forum for Women -- JNFW • Objectives: “spreading awareness among Jordanian women of the content of the national strategy which was ratified in 1993 and which aims to improve women’s status, involve them in the national development. . . , and promote their legal status and increase their participation in decision-making…”

• “To amend legislation obstructing women’s participation in development and enacting new legislations and policies…emphasizing…their full participation. ” • “To create public awareness regarding the importance of women’s roles and their status in the progress the Jordanian society. ” • “To increase women’s participation in development and to create job opportunities for them. . . ”

Jordanian Constitution • Chapter Two – Rights and duties of Jordanians – I. Jordanians shall be equal before the law. There shall be no discrimination between them as regards their rights and duties on grounds of race, language or religion.

• Since elections of • Queen Noor: “I would 1997, more women are prefer to have the lobbying for a quota various political system reach parties elect women to parliament in 2001 their high cadres and this may have women • 20% quota in the LHP represent their parties (16 seats of the 80 -seat in parliament. ” parliament)

• Under-represented • Women activists reconsidering quota system • Tokenism within government/opposition • Females = less than 3% of candidates in elections