Nov 30, 2011

News

NED’s Laith Kubba discusses Arab perceptions of Egyptian elections

NED Senior Director for the Middle East and North Africa Laith Kubba was featured on PRI's The World to speak about the Arab world's perceptions of Egypt's November elections.

Listen to the broadcast

From PRI's The World:

"Laith Kubba: I think all the eyes are set on Egypt. Egypt has been a standard bearer for a long time. It’s the largest Arab country. Its institutions, whether it be the media, the cinema, the religious institutions, are all looked upon in so many other Arab countries, and normally Arab governments take their cue from what happens in Egypt. And that is the reason why it is so important to look at what’s going on and the outcome. If this goes well I think it will seal more or less what’s going to happen in so many other Arab countries. All of it has to go now the election way. But if this falls apart then I think the argument for authoritarianism would still be on the table and you will see Arab rulers and media, and intellectuals, some arguing maybe we’re not ready for democracy yet. So it’s very important to see Egypt doing this successfully and them doing it well."

For more from this interview, visit PRI ::more