State of Parliament in the Arab States

Abstract

Parliaments and councils do exist in the Arab region more than ever. It is indeed an age of parliaments in the region. However, assessing the role and efficiency of Arab parliaments is one of the most difficult tasks to tackle. One can find no credible answers to many simple questions concerning these important institutions. What is the percentage of participation in parliamentary election? Are there any reliable and applicable indicators to measure the efficiency of Arab parliaments? What are differences and similarities between Arab parliaments and how relative are these to the capability of different parliaments of performing their functions properly? How can we judge an Arab parliament as "good" or "efficient"? What questions must donors raise before launching democracy assistance and parliamentary capacity building projects in the region. These are just few examples of such basic questions that remain without clear answers, which this paper would try to discuss.