"The Egyptian Constitutional Referendum: The Divisiveness of the 98%" Lecture by Agnieszka Paczynska

Tuesday, March 18, 2014 2:00 PM EDT
Vernon Smith Hall (formerly Metropolitan Building), 5th Floor, Room 5183

On January 14th and 15th 2014, Egyptians went to the polls to vote in a constitutional referendum. The 98% approval seemed to suggest that the document had widespread support. But the 38 percent turnout and the events preceding the vote suggested a different, more complex and troubling reality. Dr. Paczynska will draw on her experience as a member of an international referendum observation mission to Egypt. She will discuss the growing repression and political polarization that create further challenges leading up to the upcoming Egyptian presidential elections.

Dr. Agnieszka Paczynska is an Associate Professor in George Mason University's School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution. She has been a Franklin Fellow/Foreign Affairs Officer in the Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization at the United States Department of State. She is the author of State, Labor, and the Transition to a Market Economy: Egypt, Poland, Mexico, and the Czech Republic.

Sponsored by the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution.