Asia This Week: October 25, 2024

October 25, 2024

A weekly review of key news and analysis of elections in Asia and the Indo-Pacific, usually posted on Fridays and occasionally updated throughout the week.

Tarawa, Kiribati. The South Pacific nation just held a presidential election. Photo credit: Wikimedia/Luigi Guarino (CC BY 2.0)

Upcoming Asia/Pacific Elections

Australia, State Elections in Queensland and Local Elections in Victoria: October 26, 2024

Ben Smee, The Guardian (October 25, 2024): Your armchair guide to the 2024 Queensland election

Prudence Flowers, The Conversation (October 23, 2024): Abortion is back in the headlines in Australia. The debates in the United States tell us why

Japan Snap Parliamentary Elections: October 27, 2024

In August 2024, Japan’s then-Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced he was stepping down in the wake of a slush fund scandal in the governing Liberal Democratic Party. The party helped a leadership election on September 27, which former defense minister Shigeru Ishiba won. Following the election, Ishiba called a snap election for October 27, a move that had been widely expected. 

Mari Yamaguchi, AP (October 24, 2024): Japan’s ruling party may struggle in Sunday’s vote, but its decades of dominance won’t end

William Miner, Pew Research Center (October 22, 2024): Dissatisfaction with democracy is widespread in Japan ahead of snap election

Palau Presidential and Legislative Elections: November 5, 2024

William Yang, Voice of America (October 21, 2024): Palau gears up for election amid Chinese threats, US military buildup

Sri Lanka Snap Parliamentary Elections: November 14, 2024

Sri Lanka held its first presidential election since the 2022 financial crisis on September 21. Marxist Anura Kumara Dissanayake won, defeating a number of establishment political figures. He then called snap parliamentary elections, in a bid to consolidate his power. Sri Lanka remains a key site of geopolitical competition, with China constantly seeking to expand its influence and India continuing to play a role.  

Rathindra Kuruwita, The Diplomat (October 23, 2024): NPP Poised for Victory in Sri Lanka’s Parliamentary Election: The opposition has not fully understood the public demand for change.

Indonesia Regional Elections: November 27, 2024

Sana Jaffrey and Eve Warburton, Carnegie Endowment (October 22, 2024): Prabowo’s Indonesia: Inheriting Democracy at Dusk

AP (October 21, 2024): Indonesia’s new Cabinet is 109 strong

Niniek Karmini, AP (October 20, 2024): Indonesia swears in ex-general Prabowo Subianto as president

Al Jazeera (October 20, 2024): Prabowo vows to fight corruption as he is sworn in as Indonesia’s president

Paige Bruton and J.D. Capelouto, Semafor (October 20, 2024): What ex-general Prabowo Subianto’s presidency could mean for Indonesia

Sui-Lee Wee, New York Times (October 19, 2024): How Indonesia’s Transformative Leader Tarnished His Legacy

Philippines Midterm Legislative and Local Elections: May 12, 2025

Ramon Royandoyan, Nikkei Asia (October 21, 2024): Marcos-Duterte rift takes center stage in Philippine 2025 midterms

Bangladesh Snap Elections: Forthcoming

Sarah Zaman, Voice of America (October 25, 2024): Party of ousted Bangladeshi PM Hasina planning protests

PTI (October 18, 2024): Bangladesh election realistically possible by 2025, says law adviser

Past Asia/Pacific Elections

Kiribati Presidential Election: October 25, 2024

AFP (October 26, 2024): Kiribati elects pro-China president Taneti Maamau for third term

Sophie Mak, Nikkei Asia (October 25, 2024): Kiribati holds presidential election with pro-China incumbent in focus

Elections On Deck

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