In this episode, we discuss Mohamed ElBaradei's decision not to run for president Egypt, the preparations for Egypt's new parliament and for the anniversary of the January 25 uprising, which has divided those who want more revolution and those who favor stability. All through the lens of Ashraf Khalil's new book, Liberation Square.

For the first episode of 2012, we reflect of what's to come, discuss the Arab League mission in Syria, Egypt's elections and the rest of the transition timeline, take a first look at the presidential candidates, and wonder about what will take place on January 25, the anniversary of the Egyptian uprising.

In this week's episode, Ursula and I talk to the legendary Egyptian blogger Sandmonkey, a major figure of the online coverage of the uprising. Also known as Mahmoud Salem, Sandmonkey was an unlucky candidate in the first round of Egypt's parliamentary elections, standing in a Cairo district. He tells us about his experience there and as an electoral campaign manager in second round in Suez, and how he sees the most recent clashes between protestors and the army in Tahrir.

In this episode of the Arabist Podcast, we take a semi-break from the Egyptian elections to look at the bigger picture: the wave of elections bringing Islamists to office parties across the region, what Morocco's pretty tame Islamists might do, the electoral dilemmas of non-Islamists, and more. And we re-examine the issues of Saudi women getting behind the wheels, and the backlash against that from the powerful moron lobby among the Wahhabis.

In this edition of the Arabist Podcast, we introduce a brand new segment, Regional Cliffnotes, and then delve into the initial results from the first round of Egypt's parliamentary elections. It's a triumph for the Islamists, with the Muslim Brotherhood getting a comfortable plurality, but the real surprise is that Salafists are the country's second political force. And that's something that worries us.

So the elections in Egypt are upon us, and they didn't turn out to be a catastrophe. In fact, the turnout is looking good. But should we all be celebrating? Ursula Lindsey and I argue that while Egyptians have shown they're ready for democracy, the process still leaves much to be desired. And in any case, what happens next?

After the last two days' exceptional events in Tahrir Square, Egypt seems to teeter on the brink of another revolution or political chaos. We discuss the recent violence and the scenarios the country faces: more violence and authoritarianism from SCAF, or a new political direction for the transition. Or will Egypt judt muddle through again — if it can?

Ashraf, Ursula and I talk about the Arab League's surprisingly tough line on Syria — what what regional games may lie behind it — and then despair about how badly prepared Egypt's elections are, looking at all the things that might go wrong.

We were away in Tunisia in late October and never got a chance to do the podcast we had promised from there — we were too busy enjoying the well-organized election, promising democratic prospects and excellent fish. We catch up and talk what we saw there, why Egypt is so much worse off with its own upcoming elections, and agree that the French need to grow up about Islamism.

Last week, I interviewed prominent Coptic intellectual Youssef Sidhoum about Maspero and the events that led up to it. I wanted to include it in this week's podcast, but since it was already long, I decided to release it separately.