Upcoming Elections
On deck: Japan, provincial elections throughout the year; Solomon Islands general (February); Thailand parliamentary (February 24); Micronesia congressional (March 5); Australia, New South Wales state (March 23); Tuvalu legislative (March 31); India, general and Andhra Pradesh and Odisha states (April/May); Japan local (April); Maldives parliamentary (April 9); Indonesia general (April 17); Philippines legislative and local (May 13); Australia parliamentary (May 18); Japan legislative – half of upper house (July); Nauru legislative (July); India, Maharashtra state (September); New Zealand local (October 12); Hong Kong local (November); Marshall Islands legislative (November); Kiribati legislative (December)
Thailand General – March 24, 2019
The Diplomat’s Prashanth Parameswaran outlines what elections can and can’t accomplish for democracy in Thailand: “While the holding of an elusive election in the Southeast Asian state would be a notable step in the restoration of democratic rule, the harder work of managing wider political divisions lies ahead.”
Reuters reports: “Thailand’s Pheu Thai Party, which was ousted from power by the military in a 2014 coup, on Thursday picked a close ally of fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra as its main candidate for prime minister in elections set for March 24.”
Burma, Yangon Municipal – March 31, 2019 and Parliamentary 2020
Burma’s parties are preparing their candidate lists for the upcoming Yangon municipal elections, where voters will choose 105 local officials (three in each of the city’s 33 townships and six for the executive board of the Yangon City Development Committee). The opposition Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), the party with close ties to military, and Aung San Suu Kyi’s governing National League for Democracy will both field candidates. These will be Yangon’s second municipal elections – the first happened in 2014. Yangon (formerly known as Rangoon) is Burma’s largest city and commercial center, and was the capital until the military junta moved it to newly-built Napiydaw in 2006.
Burma has parliamentary elections next year. When Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy won historic elections in 2015, many had high hopes for freedom. However, authoritarian practices remain, including jailing people for political activities. Although Burma does not officially recognize the existence of political prisoners, the Burmese NGO Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) reports that at least 35 political prisoners are in jail and 291 are awaiting trial, a 42 percent increase from last year. It is still a lower number than at the height of military rule, when Amnesty International counted over 1,000 political prisoners.
Maldives Parliamentary – April 6, 2019
Maldives’ authoritarian camp continues its in-fighting ahead of parliamentary elections, after a surprise defeat in presidential elections last fall. Former president Abdullah Yameen is attempting to form a new political party after a case before the Supreme Court threatened to hand control of his Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) to his half-brother, former dictator Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. However, his new party may not be registered in time to contest the parliamentary elections.
The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has proposed a big judicial reform initiative. MDP will be fielding candidates for all 87 parliamentary seats, which is causing some controversy with its three coalition partner parties. There is some speculation that resort magnate Qasim Ibrahim’s Jumhooree Party – which has gone back and forth between the pro-democracy and authoritarian camps in the past – could leave the coalition.
Religious tension is on the rise. President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih formed a commission to address the issue.
Maldives is exploring the prospect of re-joining the Commonwealth, which it left in 2016 after being put on notice for human rights violations. Instead of responding to the Commonwealth’s concerns, Yameen chose to withdraw, but the current government wants to explore the prospect of regaining membership. An assessment team visited Maldives this week.
Indonesia General – April 17, 2019
Indonesian candidates and parties fear that more Indonesians will engage in golput, the Indonesian term for non-voting, when Indonesia holds its first simultaneous presidential, legislative, and provincial elections. Voice of America notes: “Similar to the Indonesian politics in the past, the discourse surrounding golput in 2019 has focused on the disillusionment for the two presidential candidates, Jokowi and the ex-military general Prabowo Subianto. ‘Many things motivate voters to abstain. They may feel as if the elections won’t impact their lives or they disagree with the current political system, they may dislike the candidates or distrust the representative democratic system,’ lawyer Alghiffari Aqsa and the former director at the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute, told VOA.” However, the practice still carries a stigma.
Stephen Wright and Niniek Karmini at The Diplomat report: “Basuki ‘Ahok’ Tjahaja Purnama, a polarizing ethnic Chinese, Christian politician whose campaign comments ignited the largest protests in years in Muslim-majority Indonesia was freed Thursday after serving nearly two years in prison for blasphemy. The release comes just months before Indonesia is set to hold presidential elections which will be a litmus test for the progress made by current President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo, whom Ahok succeeded as governor of Jakarta back in 2014.”
India General – April – May 2019
The Indian election remains competitive, with any particular outcome far from guaranteed. Several recent polls suggest that Narendra Modi’s governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) could remain the largest party, but fall short of a majority and thus require coalition partners to remain in government. Modi has enacted several populist measures intended to shore up support for BJP, including tax cuts and direct payments to small farmers. Modi has also greatly expanded affirmative action. While those actions could help BJP in the short run, they pose a risk for the country’s credit rating, according to Moody’s.
Meanwhile, the opposition Congress Party has unveiled a guaranteed minimum income plan.
United States Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats presented a report to the Senate in which he warns that the elections could spark violence if Modi emphasizes Hindu nationalist themes. The report said, “Hindu nationalist state leaders might view a Hindu-nationalist campaign as a signal to incite low-level violence to animate their supporters. Increasing communal clashes could alienate Indian Muslims and allow Islamist terrorist groups in India to expand their influence.”
Philippines Legislative – May 13, 2019
De La Salle University Manila professor Lisandro Claudio writes: “The May 2019 elections—where Filipinos will select their local officials, their district representatives to the lower house, and 12 nationally-elected senators—are the Philippine equivalent of the US midterms and will serve as a referendum on the administration of the so-called “Trump of the East”, President Rodrigo R. Duterte. Will this election, like its US counterpart, reflect the new rules of a world undergoing a populist explosion? Or will it be a testament to the oft-repeated view that the Philippines is a “changeless land”—a place where all elections follow simple rules of patronage and elite alliance building?”
Bloomberg reports: “Philippine economic growth which weakened to a three-year low in 2018 will rebound this year, boosted by spending for the May mid-term elections and helped by moderating prices, the nation’s chief economist said.”
A series of church bombings by followers of ISIS has left 20 people dead and Filipinos on edge ahead of the elections. Residents in mostly-Muslim Mindanao voted for more autonomy in a referendum.
Australia General – May 2019
Prime Minister Scott Morrison from the center-right Liberal Party has promised his government would oversee the creation of 1.25 million new jobs if they win the upcoming elections. Former deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop has confirmed that she will run in the elections. Bishop lost the party leadership contest last year after rebels knifed Morrison’s predecessor, Malcolm Turnbull, and stepped down as foreign minister, criticizing the behavior of the new government.
Ed Johnson in Bloomberg: “The Policies That Will Decide Who Wins Australia’s Election”
Vanuatu Referendum – June 4, 2019
Vanuatu will hold its first-ever referendum in June. Voters will have their say on a proposed political reform law.
Taiwan Presidential and Legislative – January 2020
Taiwan’s legislative and presidential elections will take place on the same day in January 2020, although the exact date has not yet been set.
Sri Lanka – Presidential and Parliamentary due 2020 (snap possible)
The election chief of Sri Lanka has threatened to quit if provincial council elections do not take place before November 10, noting that the mandates of six out of the nine provincial councils have been up for more than 16 months.
Past Elections
Japan, Yamanashi Prefecture Gubernatorial – January 27, 2019
In the first of a series of gubernatorial elections, former House of Representatives member Kotaro Nagasaki won in YamanashsiI Prefecture with support from Prime Minister Shinzo Abes’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). LDP sent senior officials to Yamanashi, home to the northern part of Mount Fuji, to campaign.
If Abe remains in power until November, he’ll be Japan’s longest-serving prime minister. The coming year holds many tests for him, including local elections and elections for half of the upper house of the Diet, Japan’s national legislature.
Hong Kong Rural Representative – January 7 and 13, 2019
Pro-democracy lawmaker Eddie Chu, who was disqualified from running in this month’s rural representative elections on suspicion of having pro-independence views, has issued a legal challenge against the village official who barred his candidacy. This marks the fourth legal challenge against disqualifications by the pro-democracy side. Candidates for office in Hong Kong are required to declare their allegiance to the Special Administrative Region and not support independence. Chu has stated that he personally opposes independence, but that Hong Kong citizens have the right to protest for it if that is their opinion. Hong Kong has city council elections coming up later this year and elections for the Legislative Council, the territory’s parliament, next year.
The Hong Kong Free Press analyzes Beijing’s strategy for dominating Hong Kong politics.
Bangladesh Parliamentary – December 30, 2019
A Transparency International report describing major election irregularities is making waves. The opposition Jatiya Oikyafront, which only won eight out of 299 seats, is refusing to participate in parliament and calling for new elections.
Malaysia General – May 9, 2018
“Where Is Malaysia’s Mahathir-Anwar Transition,” wonders Prashanth Parameswaran in The Diplomat.” Malaysia’s 2018 election saw a surprise victory for the Pakatan Harapan (PH) alliance of former strongman Mahatir Mohamed and democracy activist Anwar Ibrahim, ousting the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition in Malaysia’s first-ever democratic change of government.
Last Saturday, BN won its first by-election for a parliamentary seat in Cameron Highlands, holding its seat. PH has already won four by-elections since the general election.
Yangon’s iconic Shwedagon Pagoda. Photo credit: Wikimedia/Bjørn Christian Tørrissen
21votes does not necessarily endorse all of the views in all of the linked articles or publications.
Asia This Week – February 1, 2019
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Last Updated: February 8, 2019 by 21votes
Each day, 21votes gathers election and political news from a different region of the world. We explore Asia and the Pacific on Fridays. Click the map pins.
Thailand General - March 24, 2019
The Diplomat’s Prashanth Parameswaran outlines what elections can and can’t accomplish for democracy in Thailand: “While the holding of an elusive election in the Southeast Asian state would be a notable step in the restoration of democratic rule, the harder work of managing wider political divisions lies ahead.”
Reuters reports: “Thailand’s Pheu Thai Party, which was ousted from power by the military in a 2014 coup, on Thursday picked a close ally of fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra as its main candidate for prime minister in elections set for March 24.”
Burma, Yangon Municipal - March 31, 2019 and Parliamentary 2020
Burma’s parties are preparing their candidate lists for the upcoming Yangon municipal elections, where voters will choose 105 local officials (three in each of the city’s 33 townships and six for the executive board of the Yangon City Development Committee). The opposition Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), the party with close ties to military, and Aung San Suu Kyi’s governing National League for Democracy will both field candidates. These will be Yangon’s second municipal elections – the first happened in 2014. Yangon (formerly known as Rangoon) is Burma’s largest city and commercial center, and was the capital until the military junta moved it to newly-built Napiydaw in 2006.
Burma has parliamentary elections next year. When Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy won historic elections in 2015, many had high hopes for freedom. However, authoritarian practices remain, including jailing people for political activities. Although Burma does not officially recognize the existence of political prisoners, the Burmese NGO Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) reports that at least 35 political prisoners are in jail and 291 are awaiting trial, a 42 percent increase from last year. It is still a lower number than at the height of military rule, when Amnesty International counted over 1,000 political prisoners.
Maldives Parliamentary - April 6, 2019
Maldives’ authoritarian camp continues its in-fighting ahead of parliamentary elections, after a surprise defeat in presidential elections last fall. Former president Abdullah Yameen is attempting to form a new political party after a case before the Supreme Court threatened to hand control of his Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) to his half-brother, former dictator Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. However, his new party may not be registered in time to contest the parliamentary elections.
The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has proposed a big judicial reform initiative. MDP will be fielding candidates for all 87 parliamentary seats, which is causing some controversy with its three coalition partner parties. There is some speculation that resort magnate Qasim Ibrahim’s Jumhooree Party – which has gone back and forth between the pro-democracy and authoritarian camps in the past – could leave the coalition.
Religious tension is on the rise. President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih formed a commission to address the issue.
https://twitter.com/mg2411/status/1089974287660765184
Maldives is exploring the prospect of re-joining the Commonwealth, which it left in 2016 after being put on notice for human rights violations. Instead of responding to the Commonwealth’s concerns, Yameen chose to withdraw, but the current government wants to explore the prospect of regaining membership. An assessment team visited Maldives this week.
Indonesia General - April 17, 2019
Indonesian candidates and parties fear that more Indonesians will engage in golput, the Indonesian term for non-voting, when Indonesia holds its first simultaneous presidential, legislative, and provincial elections. Voice of America notes: “Similar to the Indonesian politics in the past, the discourse surrounding golput in 2019 has focused on the disillusionment for the two presidential candidates, Jokowi and the ex-military general Prabowo Subianto. ‘Many things motivate voters to abstain. They may feel as if the elections won’t impact their lives or they disagree with the current political system, they may dislike the candidates or distrust the representative democratic system,’ lawyer Alghiffari Aqsa and the former director at the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute, told VOA.” However, the practice still carries a stigma.
Stephen Wright and Niniek Karmini at The Diplomat report: “Basuki ‘Ahok’ Tjahaja Purnama, a polarizing ethnic Chinese, Christian politician whose campaign comments ignited the largest protests in years in Muslim-majority Indonesia was freed Thursday after serving nearly two years in prison for blasphemy. The release comes just months before Indonesia is set to hold presidential elections which will be a litmus test for the progress made by current President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo, whom Ahok succeeded as governor of Jakarta back in 2014.”
India General - April - May 2019
The Indian election remains competitive, with any particular outcome far from guaranteed. Several recent polls suggest that Narendra Modi’s governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) could remain the largest party, but fall short of a majority and thus require coalition partners to remain in government. Modi has enacted several populist measures intended to shore up support for BJP, including tax cuts and direct payments to small farmers. Modi has also greatly expanded affirmative action. While those actions could help BJP in the short run, they pose a risk for the country’s credit rating, according to Moody’s.
Meanwhile, the opposition Congress Party has unveiled a guaranteed minimum income plan.
United States Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats presented a report to the Senate in which he warns that the elections could spark violence if Modi emphasizes Hindu nationalist themes. The report said, “Hindu nationalist state leaders might view a Hindu-nationalist campaign as a signal to incite low-level violence to animate their supporters. Increasing communal clashes could alienate Indian Muslims and allow Islamist terrorist groups in India to expand their influence.”
Philippines Legislative - May 13, 2019
De La Salle University Manila professor Lisandro Claudio writes: “The May 2019 elections—where Filipinos will select their local officials, their district representatives to the lower house, and 12 nationally-elected senators—are the Philippine equivalent of the US midterms and will serve as a referendum on the administration of the so-called “Trump of the East”, President Rodrigo R. Duterte. Will this election, like its US counterpart, reflect the new rules of a world undergoing a populist explosion? Or will it be a testament to the oft-repeated view that the Philippines is a “changeless land”—a place where all elections follow simple rules of patronage and elite alliance building?”
Bloomberg reports: “Philippine economic growth which weakened to a three-year low in 2018 will rebound this year, boosted by spending for the May mid-term elections and helped by moderating prices, the nation’s chief economist said.”
A series of church bombings by followers of ISIS has left 20 people dead and Filipinos on edge ahead of the elections. Residents in mostly-Muslim Mindanao voted for more autonomy in a referendum.
Australia General - May 2019
Prime Minister Scott Morrison from the center-right Liberal Party has promised his government would oversee the creation of 1.25 million new jobs if they win the upcoming elections. Former deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop has confirmed that she will run in the elections. Bishop lost the party leadership contest last year after rebels knifed Morrison’s predecessor, Malcolm Turnbull, and stepped down as foreign minister, criticizing the behavior of the new government.
Ed Johnson in Bloomberg: “The Policies That Will Decide Who Wins Australia’s Election”
Vanuatu Referendum - June 4, 2019
Vanuatu will hold its first-ever referendum in June. Voters will have their say on a proposed political reform law.
Taiwan Presidential and Legislative - January 2020
Taiwan’s legislative and presidential elections will take place on the same day in January 2020, although the exact date has not yet been set.
Sri Lanka - Presidential and Parliamentary due 2020 (snap possible)
The election chief of Sri Lanka has threatened to quit if provincial council elections do not take place before November 10, noting that the mandates of six out of the nine provincial councils have been up for more than 16 months.
Japan, Yamanashi Prefecture Gubernatorial - January 27, 2019
In the first of a series of gubernatorial elections, former House of Representatives member Kotaro Nagasaki won in YamanashsiI Prefecture with support from Prime Minister Shinzo Abes’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). LDP sent senior officials to Yamanashi, home to the northern part of Mount Fuji, to campaign.
If Abe remains in power until November, he’ll be Japan’s longest-serving prime minister. The coming year holds many tests for him, including local elections and elections for half of the upper house of the Diet, Japan’s national legislature.
Hong Kong Rural Representative - January 7 and 13, 2019
Pro-democracy lawmaker Eddie Chu, who was disqualified from running in this month’s rural representative elections on suspicion of having pro-independence views, has issued a legal challenge against the village official who barred his candidacy. This marks the fourth legal challenge against disqualifications by the pro-democracy side. Candidates for office in Hong Kong are required to declare their allegiance to the Special Administrative Region and not support independence. Chu has stated that he personally opposes independence, but that Hong Kong citizens have the right to protest for it if that is their opinion. Hong Kong has city council elections coming up later this year and elections for the Legislative Council, the territory’s parliament, next year.
The Hong Kong Free Press analyzes Beijing’s strategy for dominating Hong Kong politics.
Bangladesh Parliamentary - December 30, 2019
A Transparency International report describing major election irregularities is making waves. The opposition Jatiya Oikyafront, which only won eight out of 299 seats, is refusing to participate in parliament and calling for new elections.
Malaysia General - May 9, 2018
“Where Is Malaysia’s Mahathir-Anwar Transition,” wonders Prashanth Parameswaran in The Diplomat.” Malaysia’s 2018 election saw a surprise victory for the Pakatan Harapan (PH) alliance of former strongman Mahatir Mohamed and democracy activist Anwar Ibrahim, ousting the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition in Malaysia’s first-ever democratic change of government.
Last Saturday, BN won its first by-election for a parliamentary seat in Cameron Highlands, holding its seat. PH has already won four by-elections since the general election.
Upcoming Elections
On deck: Japan, provincial elections throughout the year; Solomon Islands general (February); Thailand parliamentary (February 24); Micronesia congressional (March 5); Australia, New South Wales state (March 23); Tuvalu legislative (March 31); India, general and Andhra Pradesh and Odisha states (April/May); Japan local (April); Maldives parliamentary (April 9); Indonesia general (April 17); Philippines legislative and local (May 13); Australia parliamentary (May 18); Japan legislative – half of upper house (July); Nauru legislative (July); India, Maharashtra state (September); New Zealand local (October 12); Hong Kong local (November); Marshall Islands legislative (November); Kiribati legislative (December)
Thailand General – March 24, 2019
The Diplomat’s Prashanth Parameswaran outlines what elections can and can’t accomplish for democracy in Thailand: “While the holding of an elusive election in the Southeast Asian state would be a notable step in the restoration of democratic rule, the harder work of managing wider political divisions lies ahead.”
Reuters reports: “Thailand’s Pheu Thai Party, which was ousted from power by the military in a 2014 coup, on Thursday picked a close ally of fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra as its main candidate for prime minister in elections set for March 24.”
Burma, Yangon Municipal – March 31, 2019 and Parliamentary 2020
Burma’s parties are preparing their candidate lists for the upcoming Yangon municipal elections, where voters will choose 105 local officials (three in each of the city’s 33 townships and six for the executive board of the Yangon City Development Committee). The opposition Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), the party with close ties to military, and Aung San Suu Kyi’s governing National League for Democracy will both field candidates. These will be Yangon’s second municipal elections – the first happened in 2014. Yangon (formerly known as Rangoon) is Burma’s largest city and commercial center, and was the capital until the military junta moved it to newly-built Napiydaw in 2006.
Burma has parliamentary elections next year. When Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy won historic elections in 2015, many had high hopes for freedom. However, authoritarian practices remain, including jailing people for political activities. Although Burma does not officially recognize the existence of political prisoners, the Burmese NGO Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) reports that at least 35 political prisoners are in jail and 291 are awaiting trial, a 42 percent increase from last year. It is still a lower number than at the height of military rule, when Amnesty International counted over 1,000 political prisoners.
Maldives Parliamentary – April 6, 2019
Maldives’ authoritarian camp continues its in-fighting ahead of parliamentary elections, after a surprise defeat in presidential elections last fall. Former president Abdullah Yameen is attempting to form a new political party after a case before the Supreme Court threatened to hand control of his Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) to his half-brother, former dictator Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. However, his new party may not be registered in time to contest the parliamentary elections.
The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has proposed a big judicial reform initiative. MDP will be fielding candidates for all 87 parliamentary seats, which is causing some controversy with its three coalition partner parties. There is some speculation that resort magnate Qasim Ibrahim’s Jumhooree Party – which has gone back and forth between the pro-democracy and authoritarian camps in the past – could leave the coalition.
Religious tension is on the rise. President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih formed a commission to address the issue.
Maldives is exploring the prospect of re-joining the Commonwealth, which it left in 2016 after being put on notice for human rights violations. Instead of responding to the Commonwealth’s concerns, Yameen chose to withdraw, but the current government wants to explore the prospect of regaining membership. An assessment team visited Maldives this week.
Indonesia General – April 17, 2019
Indonesian candidates and parties fear that more Indonesians will engage in golput, the Indonesian term for non-voting, when Indonesia holds its first simultaneous presidential, legislative, and provincial elections. Voice of America notes: “Similar to the Indonesian politics in the past, the discourse surrounding golput in 2019 has focused on the disillusionment for the two presidential candidates, Jokowi and the ex-military general Prabowo Subianto. ‘Many things motivate voters to abstain. They may feel as if the elections won’t impact their lives or they disagree with the current political system, they may dislike the candidates or distrust the representative democratic system,’ lawyer Alghiffari Aqsa and the former director at the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute, told VOA.” However, the practice still carries a stigma.
Stephen Wright and Niniek Karmini at The Diplomat report: “Basuki ‘Ahok’ Tjahaja Purnama, a polarizing ethnic Chinese, Christian politician whose campaign comments ignited the largest protests in years in Muslim-majority Indonesia was freed Thursday after serving nearly two years in prison for blasphemy. The release comes just months before Indonesia is set to hold presidential elections which will be a litmus test for the progress made by current President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo, whom Ahok succeeded as governor of Jakarta back in 2014.”
India General – April – May 2019
The Indian election remains competitive, with any particular outcome far from guaranteed. Several recent polls suggest that Narendra Modi’s governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) could remain the largest party, but fall short of a majority and thus require coalition partners to remain in government. Modi has enacted several populist measures intended to shore up support for BJP, including tax cuts and direct payments to small farmers. Modi has also greatly expanded affirmative action. While those actions could help BJP in the short run, they pose a risk for the country’s credit rating, according to Moody’s.
Meanwhile, the opposition Congress Party has unveiled a guaranteed minimum income plan.
United States Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats presented a report to the Senate in which he warns that the elections could spark violence if Modi emphasizes Hindu nationalist themes. The report said, “Hindu nationalist state leaders might view a Hindu-nationalist campaign as a signal to incite low-level violence to animate their supporters. Increasing communal clashes could alienate Indian Muslims and allow Islamist terrorist groups in India to expand their influence.”
Philippines Legislative – May 13, 2019
De La Salle University Manila professor Lisandro Claudio writes: “The May 2019 elections—where Filipinos will select their local officials, their district representatives to the lower house, and 12 nationally-elected senators—are the Philippine equivalent of the US midterms and will serve as a referendum on the administration of the so-called “Trump of the East”, President Rodrigo R. Duterte. Will this election, like its US counterpart, reflect the new rules of a world undergoing a populist explosion? Or will it be a testament to the oft-repeated view that the Philippines is a “changeless land”—a place where all elections follow simple rules of patronage and elite alliance building?”
Bloomberg reports: “Philippine economic growth which weakened to a three-year low in 2018 will rebound this year, boosted by spending for the May mid-term elections and helped by moderating prices, the nation’s chief economist said.”
A series of church bombings by followers of ISIS has left 20 people dead and Filipinos on edge ahead of the elections. Residents in mostly-Muslim Mindanao voted for more autonomy in a referendum.
Australia General – May 2019
Prime Minister Scott Morrison from the center-right Liberal Party has promised his government would oversee the creation of 1.25 million new jobs if they win the upcoming elections. Former deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop has confirmed that she will run in the elections. Bishop lost the party leadership contest last year after rebels knifed Morrison’s predecessor, Malcolm Turnbull, and stepped down as foreign minister, criticizing the behavior of the new government.
Ed Johnson in Bloomberg: “The Policies That Will Decide Who Wins Australia’s Election”
Vanuatu Referendum – June 4, 2019
Vanuatu will hold its first-ever referendum in June. Voters will have their say on a proposed political reform law.
Taiwan Presidential and Legislative – January 2020
Taiwan’s legislative and presidential elections will take place on the same day in January 2020, although the exact date has not yet been set.
Sri Lanka – Presidential and Parliamentary due 2020 (snap possible)
The election chief of Sri Lanka has threatened to quit if provincial council elections do not take place before November 10, noting that the mandates of six out of the nine provincial councils have been up for more than 16 months.
Past Elections
Japan, Yamanashi Prefecture Gubernatorial – January 27, 2019
In the first of a series of gubernatorial elections, former House of Representatives member Kotaro Nagasaki won in YamanashsiI Prefecture with support from Prime Minister Shinzo Abes’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). LDP sent senior officials to Yamanashi, home to the northern part of Mount Fuji, to campaign.
If Abe remains in power until November, he’ll be Japan’s longest-serving prime minister. The coming year holds many tests for him, including local elections and elections for half of the upper house of the Diet, Japan’s national legislature.
Hong Kong Rural Representative – January 7 and 13, 2019
Pro-democracy lawmaker Eddie Chu, who was disqualified from running in this month’s rural representative elections on suspicion of having pro-independence views, has issued a legal challenge against the village official who barred his candidacy. This marks the fourth legal challenge against disqualifications by the pro-democracy side. Candidates for office in Hong Kong are required to declare their allegiance to the Special Administrative Region and not support independence. Chu has stated that he personally opposes independence, but that Hong Kong citizens have the right to protest for it if that is their opinion. Hong Kong has city council elections coming up later this year and elections for the Legislative Council, the territory’s parliament, next year.
The Hong Kong Free Press analyzes Beijing’s strategy for dominating Hong Kong politics.
Bangladesh Parliamentary – December 30, 2019
A Transparency International report describing major election irregularities is making waves. The opposition Jatiya Oikyafront, which only won eight out of 299 seats, is refusing to participate in parliament and calling for new elections.
Malaysia General – May 9, 2018
“Where Is Malaysia’s Mahathir-Anwar Transition,” wonders Prashanth Parameswaran in The Diplomat.” Malaysia’s 2018 election saw a surprise victory for the Pakatan Harapan (PH) alliance of former strongman Mahatir Mohamed and democracy activist Anwar Ibrahim, ousting the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition in Malaysia’s first-ever democratic change of government.
Last Saturday, BN won its first by-election for a parliamentary seat in Cameron Highlands, holding its seat. PH has already won four by-elections since the general election.
Yangon’s iconic Shwedagon Pagoda. Photo credit: Wikimedia/Bjørn Christian Tørrissen
21votes does not necessarily endorse all of the views in all of the linked articles or publications.
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Category: This Week Tags: Australia, Bangladesh, Burma, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Vanuatu