Democratisation in Egypt From A Historical Perspective: Problems, Pitfalls and Prospects

Year 2015, Volume: 22 Issue: 1, 183 - 199, 14.10.2015

İsmail Kurun

https://doi.org/10.18657/yecbu.53810

Abstract

History of democratisation in Egypt could as best be dated back to 1970s. But little
democratic progress was achieved in Sadat’s and Mubarak’s tenure until the Arap Spring. There are many handicaps before democratisation in Egypt: the elite’s stake in the authoritarian rule, widespread political extremism, structural problems within the political culture of the country in terms of democracy etc. This article ultimately argues that Egyptian democratisation process seems to be a painful and bloody process, but in the long term after the Arab Spring, the clock is ticking in
favour of democracy.

Keywords

democratisation, Egypt, military, Muslim Brotherhood

Democratisation in Egypt From A Historical Perspective: Problems, Pitfalls and Prospects

Abstract

History of democratisation in Egypt could as best be dated back to 1970s. But little
democratic progress was achieved in Sadat’s and Mubarak’s tenure until the Arap Spring. Thereare many handicaps before democratisation in Egypt: the elite’s stake in the authoritarian rule, widespread political extremism, structural problems within the political culture of the country in terms of democracy etc. This article ultimately argues that Egyptian democratisation process seems to be a painful and bloody process, but in the long term after the Arab Spring, the clock is ticking in
favour of democracy.

Keywords

-

References

• Abbasi, A. M. (2012). The Arab world: democratisation and Islamization?. International Journal on World Peace. 29(1), 7-19
• Banai, H. (2013). Democratic solidarity: rethinking democracy promotion in the new Middle East. Security Dialog, 44(5-6), 411-429
• Brownlee, J. (2010, Oct.). Unrequited moderation: credible commitments and state repression in Egypt. Comparative International Development, 45, 468-489
• Burnell, P. (2013). Democratisation in the Middle East and North Africa: perspectives from democracy support. Third World Quarterly. 34(5), 838-855
• Canbegi, H. İ. (2013). Mısır’da Müslüman Kardeşler cemiyeti. İstanbul: Öteki Adam Yayınları
• Çağlayan, S. (2011). Müslüman Kardeşler’den Yeni Osmanlılar’a İslamcılık. Ankara: İmge Kitabevi Yayınları
• El-Verdani, S. (2011). Mısır’da İslami akımlar. (2nd ed.). (H. Açar, S. Duman & Ş. Turan, Trans.). Ankara: Fecr Yayınları
• Feuille, J. (2011). Reforming Egypt’s constitution: Hope for Egyptian democracy?. Texas International Law Journal. 47(1), 237-259
• Fortna V. P. & Huang, R. (2012). Democratisation after the civil war: a brush-clearing exercise. International Studies Quarterly. 56, 801-808
• Haynes, J. (2010). Democratisation in the Middle East and North Africa: what is the effect of globalization?. Totalitarian Movements and Political Movements. 11(2), 133-149
• Hinnebusch, R. (2006). Authoritarian persistence, democratisation theory and the Middle East: an overview and critique. Democratisation. 13(3), 373-395
• Huntington, S. P. (1997). The clash of civilizations and the remaking of world order. New York: Touchstone Publishing
• Huntington, S. P. (2007). Üçüncü Dalga: Yirminci Yüzyıl Sonlarında Demokratikleşme. Ankara: Kıta Yayınları
• Jamal, A. (2009). Democratizatizing state-religion relations: a comparative study of Turkey, Egypt and Israel. Democratisation. 16(6), 1143-1171
• Kılınç, T. (2011). Ortadoğu’dan notlar. İstanbul: Pınar Yayınları
• Kuran, T. (2013). Yalanla yaşamak. (Trans: Alp Tümertekin). İstanbul: Yapı Kredi Yayınları
• Landolt L. K & Kubicek P. (2013). Opportunities and constrains: comparing Tunisia ans Egypt to the colored revolutions. Democratization. 1-23
• Lijphart, A. (1999). Patterns of Democracy. New Haven & London: Yale University Press
• Lust, E. (2011). Missing the third wave: Islam, institutions, and democracy in the Middle East. Comparative International Development. 46, 163-190
• Mady, A. (2013). Popular discontent, revolution, and democratisation in Egypt in a globalizing world. Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies, 20(1), 313-337
• Martini J. & Taylor, J. (Feb. 2011). The military’s attempt to manage the future. RAND Corporation report.
• Maugiron, N & B. (2011). Egypt’s path to transition: democratic challenges behind the constitution reform process. Middle East Law and Governance. 3, 43-59
• Mustafa, H. (2006). A policy for promoting liberal democracy in Egypt. Foundation for Defence of Democracies. White Paper Series: Voices from the Middle East on Democratization and Reform
• Neep, D. (2003). Dilemmas of democratisation in the Middle East: the “forward strategy of freedom”. RUSI Newsbrief. 23(12), 73-84
• Pace, M. (2009). Paradoxes and contradictions in the EU democracy promotion in the Mediterrenean: the limits of EU normative power. Democratisation. 16(1), 39-58
• Pinfari, M. (2013). The EU, Egypt and Morsi’s rise and fall: ‘strategic patience’ and its discontents. Mediterrenean Politics, 18(3), 460-466
• Pratt, N. (2005). Identity, culture and democratization: the case of Egypt. New Political Science. 27(1), 73-90
• Rayman, N. (2013). Is the Egyptian press ready for democracy?: Evaluatinf newspaper coverage as an indicator for democratization. Arab Media and Society. 17(Winter), 1-28
• Said, E. (2010). Şarkiyyatçılık: Batı’nın şark anlayışları. İstanbul: Metis Yayıncılık
• Saikal, A. (2011). Authoritarianism, revolution and democracy: Egypt and beyond. Australian Journal of International Affairs. 65(5), 530-544
• Salamey, I & Pearson, F. S. (2012). The collapse of Middle Eastern authoritarianism: breaking the barriers of fear and power. Third World Quarterly, 33(5), 931-948
• Sika, N. (2012). Youth political engagement in Egypt: from abstention to uprising. British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies. 39(2), 181-199
• Storck, M. (2011). The Role of Social Media in Political Mobilisation: a Case Study of the January 2011 Egyptian Uprising. (Dissertation given to the University of St. Andrews, Scotland)
• Telci, İ. N. (2013). Devrim sonrası Mısır’da güç mücadelesi: İslamcı iktidar vs. seküler muhalefet. OrtadoğuAnaliz, 49(5), 79-89
• Tessler, M. (2002). Do Islamic orientations influence attitudes towards democracy in the Arab world? Evidence from Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Algeria. International Journal of Comparative Sociology. 43(3-5), 229-249
• Telci, İ. N. (2013). Devrim sonrası Mısır’da güç mücadelesi: İslamcı iktidar vs. seküler muhalefet. OrtadoğuAnaliz, 49(5), 79-89
• Volpi, F. (2009). Political Islam in the Mediterrenean: the view from democratisation studies. Democratisation. 16(1), 20-38
• Wickham, C. R. (2011). The Muslim Brotherhood and democratic transition in Egypt. Middle East Law and Governance. 3, 204-223