A number of Nasserite Party officials submited their resignation to join the Karama Party- a dynamic splinter of the Nasserite party still awaiting a license. The resignations are due to growing discontent with party leader Diaa el-Din Daoud blamed for the poor performance of the party.

On September 7, 2007 the people of Morocco elected members of the House of Representatives (HR,) in one of the few free elections in the Arab world. Contrary to most expectations, the main Islamist Justice and Development Party did not pick up enough seats to become the leading party of Morocco.

Representatives of four parties, the National Democratic Party, the Ghad- Tomorrow- Party, the Democratic Front and the Wafd agreed to be represented by Sameh Ebeid, assistant secretary general of the Wafd party, to represent Egypt in the stirring committee of the Arab Liberal Forum (ALF). The previous ALF meeting took place in Casabalnca- Morocco- and the next meeting will take place in September in Cairo. The ALF is a pan-Arab initiative to promote liberalism.

According to a new report issued by the President of the Judiciary Council, 95 percent of judges do not speak or write English or French, despite the fact that Jordan is a signatory to several international political and economic conventions and agreements. The report identified major problems - including the need for more judicial independence - and proposed a series of reforms, such as the adoption of clear standards to select qualified judges.

On Sunday May 27, the Syrian people were forced to vote in a referendum to renew Bashar Assad’s term as president for another seven years. There was no choice as Assad ran uncontested. But just in case, Syrians were subjected to the usual intimidation tactics.

The Syrian opposition will boycott the upcoming presidential referendum on May 27, that will give Bashar Assad a renewed seven year term. Dissident activist and spokesman for the Arab Committee for Human Rights Haytham al-Manna' told AKI that this boycott is the position that Syrian democracy and human rights advocates can take.

The US-based Reform Party of Syria called on Syrians not to participate in the parliamentary elections this Sunday by not entering voting booths.

The Damascus Declaration (DD) grouping, the largest opposition umbrella gathering, said that the Syrian people "turned their faces away" from the parliamentary elections held last week. It also considered the statements made by regime officials, accusing the opposition of treason and collaboration, as reflecting "tension and anxiety."

Former independent MP Riad Seif, who was one of the leaders of the brief Damascus Spring movement, and who served five years in jail as a result, wrote about his experience as an MP in a lengthy article in the Lebanese daily al-Safir.