Recently, the international media’s attention was on Egyptian revolutionaries asking for the military junta to step down; But as news that the parliamentary elections were about to precede as planned, attention shifted to what the political structure in the Egypt of the near future and in the long term will look like. But What about myriad of issues human rights and Tahrir activist raised in the post Mubarak regime? Professor Saba Mahmoud spoke with Hossam Bahgat, founder and director of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights about early election trends and how his organization has been challenging the military’s repression and continuation of status quoi ante.
We will also go to Yemen and talk to researcher and blogger Atiaf Al-Wazir about the latest political developments in Yemen. On November 23, the people in Yemen found out their autocratic leader, Ali Abdullah Saleh was in neighboring Saudi Arabia in order to sign a deal that stipulates an immediate transfer of power to Mr. Sale’s deputy and formation of a government of national unity.
Egypt and Yemen: Interviews with Hossam Bahgat and Atiaf al-Wazir by Jadaliyya