Libya: The Libyan opposition has offered amnesty as well as a reward of $1.7 million for anyone in Muammar Gaddafi’s close circle who captures the elusive Libyan leader, alive of dead. In an audio message broadcast on local radio stations, Gaddafi vowed to fight NATO until victory or martyrdom. In his speech, he also described his exit from his fortified residence in Bab al-Aziziya as a "tactical move." NATO said that it will continue its operations in Libya until its mission is fulfilled.

Yemen: President Ali Abdullah Saleh ordered the recruitment of 50,000 troops to eliminate all supporters of the Yemeni revolution. Saleh called on his son and the rest of his family to accelerate the mobilization of armed and air forces as well as the deployment of tanks and missiles to launch what he referred to as "the final battle" against anti-regime activists. Meanwhile, popular anti-regime protests continued across Yemeni cities and provinces demanding the downfall of the regime.

Syria: Syrian forces stormed the city of Mayadin in Deir az-Zour, killing seven civilians. Additional reports also confirm raids in the neighborhoods of al-Bayada in Homs. Meanwhile, supporters of the opposition organized massive demonstrations during which protestors chanted slogans calling for freedom, the downfall of the regime, and the formation of a transitional national council to run the country in the phase post-Bashar al-Assad.

Bahrain: Bahrain's main opposition bloc, al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, says it will not participate in the parliamentary elections to replace the lawmakers who resigned in protest of Manama's crackdown on anti-government protestors. Eighteen Bahraini lawmakers from the main Shia opposition party, al-Wefaq, walked out of the parliament in February after security forces opened fire on anti-government protestors, killing and wounding many.

Bahrain: Supporters of Bahrain's February 14 Revolution called for a mass demonstration in the village of Krana to demand that the regime meet the people's demands. The Bahraini government has become even more isolated as more political groups are boycotting the upcoming parliamentary elections. Al-Wefaq Islamic Society, the National Democratic Action, al-Menbar, and the Democratic National Rally are among the political group who have announced their boycott of the elections. 

Syria: For the first time, US President Barack Obama has called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down, condemning the violent acts against citizens by the Syrian forces. Britain, France, and Germany have also called on Assad to step down. The international community believes that Assad has lost all legitimacy and can no longer rule the country. The Obama administration also imposed fresh sanctions on Syria's government, including freezing Syrian assets in the US and banning all Syrian fuel products.

Libya: Sources close to the Libyan revolutionaries have said they are advancing from Misurata toward the eastern city of Sirte, the birthplace of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. The revolutionaries are continuing their advance toward Tripoli, where they hope to soon put an end to Gaddafi's regime after six months of intense fighting. The city of Brega is still witnessing seesaw battles between Gaddafi forces and the revolutionaries, who have achieved gains in parts of the city, especially the area of al-Arqub.

Syria: The slogan for this Friday’s protest is "We won't kneel," as demonstrators are determined to achieve their demands and refuse to heed to the Syrian regime’s crackdown and oppression. Since anti-government protests began in March, over 2,000 people have been killed, nearly 15,000 have been arrested, and more than 15,000 have been displaced to neighboring countries.

Bahrain: Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society called for mass participation in the "No Retreat" festival on the Friday of Decisiveness. Protestors are demanding reform and democracy while condemning the crackdown by authorities. Meanwhile, the ministries of health and education continue to fire more employees for participating in peaceful protests, despite the government's supposed claim that fired employees be reinstated. Hundreds of public sector employees have been dismissed from their positions over their participation in demonstrations.

Libya: The revolutionaries announced that at dawn, they advanced on three fronts toward the capital Tripoli. They are headed towards key coastal cities in western Libya, including Az Zawiyah Az Ziyah and Sarman. Yesterday, they seized control of residential neighborhoods in eastern Brega. Western Brega, however, is still under the control of Muammar Gaddafi’s forces. The Libyan opposition has achieved a political victory as well, after officially reopening the Libyan embassy in Washington DC.

Yemen: In the capital Sana, thousands of pro-and anti-regime protestors gathered in rival protests. Anti-regime protestors gathered in Siteen Square on a Friday named, "We are victorious, God willing." Meanwhile, supporters of the ruling regime gathered in Sabeen Square on what they are calling the "Friday of national alliance to protect constitutional legitimacy."

Egypt: Massive demonstrations are being held throughout Egypt today, on what is being called the "Friday of Unity and the People's Will." Most political parties and movements planned to participate in the demonstrations after agreeing to put aside individual demands and agendas in order to focus on the revolution's goals. However, many parties decided not to continue taking part in today's events after several Islamic parties began chanting Islamic slogans.

Libya: The mysterious assassination of opposition leader Abdel Fattah Younis has created divisions among rebel forces. While most are blaming his death on Muammar Gaddafi loyalists, others aren't ruling out the possibility of internal disputes in the opposition as the cause for his untimely assassination. Younis, one of Gaddafi's former right-hand men, defected from the Libyan regime in late February to join the revolutionaries and help form the Transitional National Council.

Bahrain: Several demonstrations were held throughout the country in response to calls by al-Wefaq National Islamic Society and the February 14 Coalition. Fierce confrontations erupted between young protestors and Bahraini security forces in the towns of Zanj and al-Bilad Qadeem. The opposition has rejected the outcome of the country's national dialogue and al-Wefaq Society is warning the regime not to use the modest reform proposals from the dialogue as a solution to the country's political crisis.

Syria: Anti-regime mobilizations have been linked to many Syrian mosques, which have become destinations for protestors to gather and starting points for their demonstrations. Historically, the mosque's role has not been limited to religious services but also includes an important social aspect, especially during the tumultuous Arab Spring.

Bahrain: The so-called national dialogue has failed to appease the country's opposition amid rising concerns over the government's determination to find a balanced solution to of the current crisis in Bahrain. The opposition voiced frustration with the government at the national dialogue conference after the country's largest opposition party, al-Wefaq, left the negotiations. Facing a countrywide anti-regime revolution, Manama launched the talks on July 2 with the alleged aim of introducing reforms in the Bahraini government.

Syria: A number of night protests were organized in several neighborhoods of the capital Damascus and its countryside amid a crackdown by security forces. Eleven people, including one child, were killed and 250 were arrested in the city of Kanaker, south of Damascus, in what Syrian authorities say was an operation to capture armed terrorist groups.

Libya: Libyan revolutionaries launched an attack on Muammar Gaddafi's battalions stationed at the foot of the Western Mountains, specifically in the towns of Takut and al-Ghazaya. The revolutionaries initiated the military operation to seize control of the strategic mountain towns because they are being used by the regime's battalions to shell Nalut and the Wazin-Dhehaiba crossing at the Tunisian border. Images posted online also show fierce battles in al-Brega and the revolutionaries' vigorous attempt to maintain a siege around Gaddafi's battalions in the city.

Egypt: Prime Minister Essam Sharaf has made significant changes to his Cabinet to placate those accusing the new government of being slow at implementing reforms. However, protestors do not see the reshuffle as sufficient and continue to protest against the government. Egyptian state-run television reported that preparatory work will start on September 18 for the Egyptian parliamentary elections, which were recently postponed to November.

Bahrain: Leading opposition group al-Wefaq National Islamic Society announced its withdrawal from Bahrain’s national dialogue. It attributed the withdrawal to Manama’s failure to accept any of al-Wefaq's reform proposals, including initiatives for a constitutional monarchy, an elected government, and for drafting a constitution. Bashra al-Hindi, a member of al-Wefaq's dialogue delegation said, "The existing administration [does] not care for a real dialogue." Three other opposition groups said they may also pull out of the talks.

Tunisia: Prime Minister Beji Caid Essebsi said violence in the country is aimed at preventing elections from taking place. He warned that extremist political groups are trying to derail the date of the elections but confirmed that they will be held on October 23, as scheduled. Tunisia's recent protests led to the death of one person during a wave of riots that swept the capital Tunis and a number of other cities.

Syria: Syrian security forces continue their military operations in cities and town throughout the country. According to the Syrian Coordination Committees, ten people died in the al-Khalidiya region in Homs when a funeral was targeted by gunfire. The crackdown led to the deaths of several of people, including a 12-year-old boy, and to the injury of dozens. This military escalation was met with massive demonstrations in a number of areas as part of what was named the Tuesday of "Nashama al-Furat" by the Syrian opposition.

For a number of Arab countries, including Bahrain, Jordan, and Egypt, 2010 witnessed yet another round of disappointing parliamentary elections.  

In all three countries, ruling parties faced serious competition from the opposition. However, as elections neared and campaigns heated up, the undermining of opposition parties intensified. The authoritarian regimes' methods ranged from media censorship and mass arrests to violent crackdowns.

On October 23, 2010, Bahrain, the only Gulf state that allows political organizations known as "societies," held its third parliamentary elections. The predominantly Shiite Gulf state, ruled by a Sunni government, managed to pull off a reasonably free but unfair election. Granted, no reports of direct electoral fraud emerged after the election but it was preceded by a crackdown on government critics, a clampdown on the media, the intimidation of opposition members, and arrest of prominent activists.

Undeterred, the Shiite-led Wefaq Party participated and swept 18 of the 40-seat Council of Representatives. But for Bahrain’s Shiite majority that has long complained of discrimination in accessing government jobs and housing, the election did not lead to a change in the political makeup of the government since the members of the upper house, Bahrain’s main legislative body, are directly appointed by the king.

Unlike Bahrain where main opposition group Al-Wefaq and Sunni Islamist groups Al-Asalah and Al-Menbar participated in the elections, Egypt and Jordan’s opposition parties chose to boycott theirs. The hope that elections in those two countries might provide a glimpse into democratization in the Middle East were quickly dashed as the rigging or manipulation of the vote was carefully crafted long before election day. 

On November 9, 2010, Jordan held parliamentary elections that were also perceived as free but unfair. The Jordanian government passed a new electoral law earlier that year that was viewed by the opposition as favoring tribal allegiances at the expense of political and social platforms. This led the Muslim Brotherhood and its political wing, the Islamic Action Front, to boycott the elections citing a “lack of genuine desire for reform” on the part of the government.

As a result, loyalists to Jordan's King Abdullah II and tribal-affiliated candidates won most of the upper and lower house seats. And although the boycott damaged the credibility of the elections, the royal family was able to cling on to power domestically while preserving its democratic image internationally.

On November 28, 2010, Egypt held its parliamentary elections after violently clamping down on the opposition. In the weeks and months leading up to the parliamentary election, the government carried out wide-scale sweeps, targeting members and supporters of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. Despite the latter's participation in the first round, it failed to secure any seats, citing vote rigging, fraud and ballot stuffing. 

Both the liberal Wafd Party and the Muslim Brotherhood boycotted the run-off round on December 5, 2010 and with 97 percent control of the People's Assembly, President Hosni Mubarak’s ruling National Democratic Party managed to further tighten its grip on power in Egypt.

The electoral farce held in Bahrain, Jordan, and Egypt is part of what has become a familiar political game aimed at diffusing Arab anger and frustration with stagnating and unpopular regimes. Indeed, Arabs are growing tired of meaningless elections that merely offer a facade for change but leave them even more cynical about the possibility of a democratic transition of power.  

The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index for 2010 classified all three countries as “authoritarian” and the Middle East and North Africa region as the most repressive globally. How much longer will these crumbling regimes be able to quell popular mobilization? And if boycotting campaigns keep on failing to delegitimize these regimes, one has to wonder what opposition parties will do next.

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