November 14, 2005

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Scan) - Residents of six predominantly Arab countries hold different views on how a democratically chosen Islamic administration would behave, according to a poll by Zogby International for the World Economic Forum's Arab Business Council. More than 70 per cent of respondents in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates would trust a popularly elected Islamic government to abide

(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Residents of six predominantly Arab countries hold different views on how a democratically chosen Islamic administration would behave, according to a poll by Zogby International for the World Economic Forum's Arab Business Council. More than 70 per cent of respondents in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates would trust a popularly elected Islamic government to abide by the rules of a democracy.

Morocco is next on the list of confidence with 46 per cent, followed by Egypt with 44 per cent, Jordan with 39 per cent, and Lebanon with 36 per cent.

Saudi Arabia does not have an elected national government. Voters in the United Arab Emirates elect a 40-member Federal National Council, which performs advisory tasks.

In the June 2003 election to Jordan's Assembly of Deputies, tribal leaders and former legislators akin to King Hussein II secured 62 of the 110 seats at stake. In this year's ballot to Lebanon's 128-member Assembly of Representatives, the Future Movement of Saad Hariri—which includes the Progressive Socialist Party, the Lebanese Forces and Qurnet Shahwan—elected 72 lawmakers.

The election to Egypt's National Assembly will be completed next month. President Hosni Mubarak was re-elected in September, in a ballot marred by a low turnout.

The next legislative election in Morocco is expected in 2007.

Polling Data

Would you be likely to trust a popularly elected Islamic government to abide by the rules of a democracy?

	Egypt	Jordan	Lebanon	Morocco	Saudi Arabia	UAE
Yes	44%	39%	36%	46%	72%	70%
No	34%	33%	48%	36%	14%	19%
Not sure	22%	28%	16%	19%	15%	12%

Source: Zogby International / The World Economic Forum's Arab Business Council
Methodology: Interviews with 800 adults in Egypt, 500 adults in Jordan, 500 adults in Lebanon, 800 adults in Morocco, 800 adults in Saudi Arabia, and 217 adults in the United Arab Emirates, conducted from Oct. 15 to Oct. 24, 2005. Margins of error for each sample range from 3.5 to 6.8 per cent.

Complete Poll (PDF)

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