During a recent discussion hosted by the Woodrow Wilson Center’s Middle East Program, Les Campbell [3], NDI director for Middle East and North Africa programs, joined Marina Ottaway, a Woodrow Wilson Center senior scholar, to talk about recent electoral victories by Islamists in the Middle East and North Africa and how this affects the region’s opposition movements.

During the event, Campbell noted that “street politics” as the only way to challenge Islamists posed a danger to democracy in countries like Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco, where there is not a strong functioning opposition. Campbell touched on some of the reasons that secular parties struggle in Egypt, including an unwillingness to do tough campaign work, a belief that the international community will pressure Islamists to include them and a fear of putting resources into elections whose results could be cancelled.

He also discussed governing challenges that the Islamists face, especially in Egypt, due to issues like lack of governing experience and a disconnect with the economic elite. Campbell argued that the international community should engage secular Egyptian political parties, and make it clear to the Islamists that they are willing to pressure them to follow democratic practices.

Read a full summary of the event here. [2]