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Obama Leadership Tested by Fast-Changing Egypt Crisis
Commenting in Business Week on the Obama administration's response to the popular uprising in Egypt, NDI's director for the Middle East, Leslie Campbell, said, "The fact that the administration has gone from the idea of Egyptian authorities can do no wrong to advocating an immediate transition to democracy in a matter of days is incredible."
Feb. 14, 2011 | Read»
Are Popular Protests A Mortal Threat To Dictators?
In an article discussing the domino effect of popular protests in the Middle East, Les Campbell, NDI's regional director for the Middle East and North Africa comments on the possibility of uprisings in the Gulf States.
"Maybe I'll be wrong, but I think in the Gulf states, the standard of living is so high that it's difficult to imagine an Egyptian-level of uprising there."
Feb. 10, 2011 | Read»
Free, fair elections still distant prospect for Egypt
NDI's regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, Les Campbell, comments on the dim prospects for free and fair elections in Egypt under the leadership of Vice President Omar Suleiman.
"I don't think there is much intent by the authorities in Egypt to actually make that transition, from fully manipulated to fully fair elections," Campbell told The Washington Post. "I suspect what they may have in mind is to go from fully manipulated to carefully controlled."
Feb. 9, 2011 | Read»
'Different Era' Ahead in Egypt
NDI Chairman Madeleine K. Albright appeared on CNN’s State of the Union on Feb. 6 to discuss the ongoing transition in Egypt, the role of the U.S. in that transition and Mubarak's future.
“My own personal opinion is the Mubarak era is over," former Secretary of State Albright said. "And the question is how to have a process that really works properly, that allows these various voices to come together and not disagree on some of the tactical aspects.”
Feb. 6, 2011 | Watch»
The Way Forward in the Middle East
Albright appeared on MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow show on Feb. 3 to discuss the developing situation in the Middle East and the role the United States and nongovernmental organizations can play in supporting the will of the people in Egypt and elsewhere in the region.
“Frankly this is not a story that the United States can control,” Albright said. “This is definitely the Egyptian people and they are being remarkable, the way they protested for a number of days peacefully, really voicing their views.”
“[At NDI] we have been working within Egypt for a long time in terms of developing of various aspects of civil society and talking to various opposition groups who are prepared to participate in a fair and free election.”
Feb. 3, 2011 | Watch»
Mubarak Supporters' Offensive Heightens Volatility in Egypt
Les Campbell, NDI's regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, appeared on the PBS NewsHour to discuss the situation in Egypt.
"After President Mubarak promised a transition, the first step appeared to be to release the thugs on the protesters, and then the army, in their first real test, stood by and allowed this violence to occur," Campbell said. "Transition to something new doesn't start with unleashing violence."
Feb. 2, 2011 | Watch»
International Support for Democracy Development
On ForeignPolicy.com, James Traub wrote about the international community’s role in supporting democratic developments in countries such as Egypt and Tunisia. Traub quotes NDI President Kenneth Wollack about how the United States goes about helping these countries develop institutions that can build and sustain democracy.
“The requests have to come from local actors,” Wollack told Traub. “You have to be standing behind them.” He said organizations like NDI can make a difference by advising officials on the reform of laws governing the function of political parties, electoral commissions and the media in addition to working with civil society and political parties.
Feb. 3, 2011 | Read»
Supporting Democracy in the Middle East
Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle appeared on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” show where he addressed the current political situation in Egypt and the rest of the Middle East.
Daschle, NDI’s vice chair, talked about the importance of the work NDI and the International Republican Institute (IRI) are doing to support the foundations of democracy in the region. “[The United States is] not involved as a country, but we support NDI and IRI in a way that I think could really pay big dividends,” he said.
Feb. 3, 2011 | Watch»
Is The Arab World Ready For Regime Change?
Interviewed on NPR about the Jasmine Revolution taking place in Tunisia, Leslie Campbell, director of Middle East and North Africa programs for NDI, explains that now other regimes in the region recognize that threats to their power may always be bubbling under the surface. "Events in Tunisia have shown that it doesn't take years of building up civil opposition for a regime to crumble," he says.
Jan. 24, 2011 | Read»
