Omar Kandil

Abstract

Acknowledging and understanding the opportunities in Egypt post-2011, this research focuses on Egyptian political parties, and their potential role in Egypt’s ongoing transition, instigated by the events of January 2011. The main purpose of this paper was to answer the research question which is centered around the extent to which political parties can promote a culture of good governance in Egypt post-2011, taking several major parties and events as cases for the analysis. The main objectives of this research were to thoroughly understand the context in which political parties developed in Egypt and analyze the major recognized components of good governance, in order to ultimately assess how newly established political in parties in Egypt can contribute to the promotion of these components in post-2011 Egypt. This allowed to view these parties more in depth and properly assess their role in Egypt’s current transition in relation to extrapolated components of good governance such as transparency, accountability, capacity building, rule of law , participation and representation, effectiveness, among other elements. It also provided insights on the potential opportunities for these institutions in Egypt, in terms of what they can bring to the transition if empowered and nurtured. Qualitative interviews were undertaken with party officials along with content and discourse analysis in order to provide holistic perceptions of the subject of study. The findings of the analyzed data allowed to provide insights on internal mechanisms of political parties which demonstrate elements of good governance. Various intra-party mechanisms showcased several aspects of commitment to transparency, accountability, capacity building, participation and this was the case for parties in various areas of the political spectrum. It also granted the research with an understanding of Egyptian parties in the context of elections, including processes of pre-elections such as internal and external endorsements of candidates as well as various alliances formations and formulation of party programs and platforms. Multi-party collaboration has also been a focal element of the analysis, with a focus on the stances and formal positions of various parties in regards to legislations and other macro-issues affecting the Egyptian political scene. Policy recommendations conclude the paper and allow for the research to serve as a comprehensive framework for understanding the potential role of political parties in Egypt post-2011 and what opportunities can allow for stronger parties to have a more significant role in promoting good governance in Egypt’s ongoing transition moving forward.

Department

Public Policy & Administration Department

Degree Name

MA in Public Policy

Graduation Date

6-1-2015

Submission Date

May 2015

First Advisor

Hamzawy, Amr

Committee Member 1

Ali, Hamid

Committee Member 2

Anderson, Lisa

Extent

97 p.

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Library of Congress Subject Heading 1

Egypt -- History -- Protests, 2011-

Library of Congress Subject Heading 2

Political parties -- Egypt -- 21st century.

Rights

The author retains all rights with regard to copyright. The author certifies that written permission from the owner(s) of third-party copyrighted matter included in the thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study has been obtained. The author further certifies that IRB approval has been obtained for this thesis, or that IRB approval is not necessary for this thesis. Insofar as this thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study is an educational record as defined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 USC 1232g), the author has granted consent to disclosure of it to anyone who requests a copy.

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval

Approval has been obtained for this item

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