Eleven months after the election law was approved, the Iraqi Parliament managed at the end of October 2020 to finally agree on the electoral districts’ formula in the general election law, in preparation for the early elections scheduled for June 2021. This paper sheds light on the amendment of the articles on the form of the electoral districts in the law, the positions of the various political and popular actors thereon, and their impact on the expected results of the upcoming elections.
EPC | 16 Nov 2020
The agreement that was reached between the Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on 9 October 2020 regarding the Sinjar District of the Nineveh Governorate was described as "historic", as it paves the way for the return to normality in the District for the first time since its liberation from the Daesh (IS) organisation, and ends the influence of the Shiite militias and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the District. However, although almost a month has passed since the conclusion of the agreement, it has not yet started to be implemented due to its security provisions that conflict with the interests of the armed factions present in the city.
EPC | 09 Nov 2020
The Russian strike against the Jabal al-Duwailah camp in Idlib constitutes a turning point in the course of the Russian-Turkish understandings in northern Syria. This strike has targeted Turkey’s most important proxies in the country’s northwest, namely Faylaq al-Sham (the Levant Corps), in light of the state of calm that the two sides established in the region, and the de-escalation of the demarcation lines since the armistice agreement in March 2020. This shift raises many questions about its causes and the extent of its impact on the existing balances in northwest Syria.
EPC | 03 Nov 2020
EPC | 08 Oct 2020
EPC | 11 Nov 2020
Ahmed Diab | 10 Nov 2020
EPC | 26 Oct 2020
EPC | 14 Sep 2020
The Turkish government lacked transparency in dealing with the COVID-19 crisis. The number of cases announced by Ankara was not accurate and lacked...
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Turkey’s economy was strongly hit by the Coronavirus crisis particularly in trade, services, transport and tourism sectors. For example, the...
The toughest thing facing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan now is economic recession. It is likely that this recession will last for a long t...
EPC | 06 Sep 2020
The Emirati-Israeli peace treaty was dubbed as a “historical moment” or a “historical breakthrough” because it is the first...
The Emirati-Israeli Peace Treaty came in the context of the geopolitical shifts in the Middle East since the 2000s. These shifts have shown the nee...
The treaty reflects a new spirit in the UAE leadership based on the fact that we, as Arabs, can bring about a change to the current path in the reg...
EPC | 17 Aug 2020
There are several motives for the issuance by the US of the Caesar Act, mainly sending a message to the allies of the Syrian regime that they will...
From the political perspective, the Caesar Act constitutes one of the US foreign policy tools to influence the Syrian crisis and impose its conditi...
Even before the Caesar Act was passed, Syria had reached the point of chaos and collapse due to the deterioration of the economic and living condit...
EPC | 11 Aug 2020
There is no doubt that at the beginning of the coronavirus epidemic crisis, the Iranian regime took wrong decisions, such as insisting on holding t...
The health crisis in Iran has exacerbated as a result of the government’s delay in taking the necessary measures to combat the spread of the...
During the period of the current Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Iran has shifted from a revolutionary regime to a police state. In the event of Khame...
EPC | 20 Feb 2020
What President Trump is doing is different from former US presidents; he is putting more pressure on Palestinians to accept his vision for a soluti...
We can say that three people in the Trump Administration were responsible for drafting the “Deal of the Century” in its current form in...
In my estimation, the “Deal of the Century” has nothing to do with the priorities of the current U.S administration and it’s an i...
EPC | 05 Nov 2019
Addis Ababa thinks that the Renaissance Dam is a project of economic integration that will benefit the whole region, not only Ethiopia. Despite dif...
I think that the scenario of direct military confrontation between Egypt and Ethiopia is unlikely if the upcoming trilateral talks in Washington fa...
Washington’s call for a meeting between the three parties to the dam crisis in 6 November 2019, came to revive the hopes for reaching an unde...
Iraq today finds itself at a crossroads, beset by challenges and life-and-death decisions. The public protests that erupted in early October 2019 revealed a number of deep structural crises in the country, growing public resentment vis-à-vis the political elite, and an expanding rift between these political forces and the Iraqi street. They have ignited a conflict that has opened the door to all manner of possible future scenarios for the nation.
EPC | 16 Jul 2020
Our neighbor, Iran, is currently experiencing significant social turmoil in the face of escalating economic challenges and political crises – largely manifested in the form of ongoing public protests.
EPC | 23 Apr 2020
Turkey is today undergoing significant political turbulence. President Erdogan’s popularity is in decline and the incumbent Justice and Development Party (AKP) appears increasingly vulnerable to
EPC | 07 Oct 2019
Dr. Anwar Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, on Monday delivered the keynote address in the 7th Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate organized by the Emirates Policy Center. This year’s event is organized virtually pursuant to the rules related to COVID-19 pandemic. Panels of ADSD will be held over three days from 9-11 November 2020. The following is the full text of Dr. Gargash speech:
Dr. Ebtesam Al Ketbi, the President of Emirates Policy Center, officially launched the 7th Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate today morning by delivering opening remarks where she welcomed all participants and attendants of this significant gathering. Dr. Al Ketbi highlighted the nature of issues, and global and regional shifts that will be the focus of this year’s ADSD discussion panels over the course of three days. Following is the full text of opening remarks:
Dr. Ebtesam al-Ketbi | 09 Nov 2020
The Emirates Policy Center (EPC) organizes the Seventh Annual “Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate” (ADSD). This year’s event is scheduled to take place virtually with the participation of strategic experts, researchers and policy-makers from all over the world. H.E. Dr. Anwar Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, will deliver the keynote speech.
EPC | 04 Nov 2020