Continued Decline Is Not Inevitable

Multi-party elections throughout the Middle East may be manipulated, but voters do get a voice. Voters increasingly turn to Islamist parties in seeking reform and satisfying public needs. “Secular parties – that is parties that do not explicitly derive their ideology from Islam, but are not necessarily anti-Islamic or anti-religion – played a central role in Arab politics in the past, writes Marina Ottaway for Bitterlemons-international.org. Once vibrant, the secular parties do not offer strong political plans. “Islamic organizations and movements have become much stronger and exert a strong influence on social norms and popular culture everywhere,” Ottaway suggests. While Islamist parties take on the meticulous work of building local networks and organizing programs, secular leaders increasingly turn to civil organizations to influence public policy. Ottaway concludes that “civil society organizations are not a substitute for political parties in election-based political systems, and civil society organizations have little influence on parliaments where pro-government forces are dominant and Islamists are the main opposition.” The voting public will support the leaders who offer practical policies that provide widespread economic and political stability for communities. – YaleGlobal