This House would prefer money to free elections
Wednesday November 10 2010
MOTION REJECTED
by 37% to 63%
Speakers
N. Janardhan
Speaking for the motion
Dr N. Janardhan is a UAE-based political analyst with an interest in the socio-political developments of the Gulf region. Previously he was Editor of 'Gulf in the Media' and Program Manager, Gulf-Asia Relations, at the Gulf Research Center in Dubai. He has had over 400 articles and opinion pieces published in Middle East and Indian newspapers. Dr Janardhan's forthcoming academic publications include 'China and India: Raring to Go?' and ‘Politics After Saddam: Prospects for Reform and Democratization in the Gulf .’
Mani Shankar Aiyar
Speaking against the motion
Mani Shankar Aiyar is a member of the Indian National Congress party. He was Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (Rule of Village Committee) until he lost his seat in the 2009 election. Previously he served as Union Cabinet Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. Mr. Aiyar has authored a number of books and in October 2010 was made an Honorary Fellow of Trinity Hall, Cambridge University, in recognition of his contribution to the “diplomatic and political life of the world’s largest democracy".
Jean-Francois Seznec
Speaking for the motion
Dr. Jean-François Seznec is Visiting Associate Professor at Georgetown University’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies  in Washington.  Dr. Seznec’s interests centre on the influence of the Arab-Persian Gulf political and social variables on the financial and oil markets in the region. Dr. Seznec has 25 years experience in international banking and finance of which ten years were spent in the Middle East. Dr. Seznec is a founding member and Managing Partner of the Lafayette Group LLC, a US based private investment company.
Wael Abbas
Speaking against the motion
Wael Abbas is a political blogger, democracy activist and journalist. Through his blog MisrDigital.com (or Egyptian awareness), Mr. Abbas has been highly critical of the Egyptian government and exposed alleged incidents of abuse of people held in official custody. Mr. Abbas says he has been detained and interrogated a number of times by the Egyptian authorities and in November 2009 was sentenced to six months in prison on the charge of damaging an internet cable. The conviction was later thrown out by the appeals court. In 2007 Wael Abbas became the first blogger to win the Knight International Journalist Award, given by the US-based International Center for Journalists. In 2008 he was named CNN’s Middle East Person of the Year.
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