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1 (September 21, 2005)

handle is hein.crs/crsmthabdpv0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Order Code RS22274 Updated September 21, 2005 CRS Report for Congress Received through the CRS Web Egypt: 2005 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections Jeremy M. Sharp Middle East Policy Analyst Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Summary On September 7, 2005, Egypt conducted its first multi-candidate presidential election, resulting in the reelection of President Hosni Mubarak with 88% of the vote. Although some have credited Egypt for holding a competitive election, many have criticized the outcome and alleged fraud. President Bush had called for international monitoring of the election, which was subsequently rejected by Egypt. The Administration has reiterated its call for international monitoring of parliamentary elections this fall. This report provides an overview of the presidential election and its implications for U.S. policy toward Egypt and U.S. efforts to promote democracy in the region. It will be updated as events warrant. For more information on Egypt, see CRS Report RL33003, Egypt: Background and U.S. Relations, by Jeremy M. Sharp. Background In recent years, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and his ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) have faced growing criticism, both domestically and internationally, regarding limited progress on political liberalization. One frequently cited obstacle of reform had been the indirect presidential election process, in which a candidate was nominated and confirmed by the NDP-controlled People's Assembly (lower house of parliament) and then approved in a nationwide yes or no referendum, which was thought to be manipulated by authorities. With the past four referendums without a competitor routinely resulting in Mubarak receiving anywhere from 93% to 98% yes votes, the process was widely viewed at home and abroad as illegitimate and was perceived as an anachronism in the eyes of younger Egyptians. The recent publicity surrounding elections in Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and the West Bank & Gaza Strip only heightened this perception, as Egypt, the largest Arab country, appeared out of step with the trend in the Arab world. In addition, Egypt's ruling elite has been gradually undergoing a generational shift, in which a new faction of young, media-savvy, and Western-educated leaders within the NDP (led by the President's son, Gamal Mubarak) has attempted to reinvigorate political culture in order to modernize the NDP' s image without having to relinquish the party's grip on power. Congressional Research Service +o The Library of Congress

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