In recent months, the world has witnessed elections in places that no one would have considered cradles of democracy just a few years ago. There was the peaceful presidential polling in Afghanistan; a newly elected Palestinian leader is promising democratic reform, and later this week, Iraqis will vote for a leader after decades under the thumb of a dictator.
There are still questions about fair representation and security and the permanence of these governments, but democracy looks like its spreading. We talk with people in neighboring countries to see what they’re thinking.
Guests:
Mona Makram Ebeid, Professor of Political Science at American University in Cairo, Member of the Egyptian Parliament form 1990-1995, and President of the Association for Advancement of Education
Khaled Al-Maeena, Editor-in-chief of Arab News, the largest English daily newspaper in the Middle East
Salameh Nematt, Washington Bureau Chief of Al-Hayat, the international Arab daily, and the LBC, a Lebanon-based Arab satellite channel.