Asia Agenda - a new digital publication (draft)
Convening our Corporate Leaders and Partners to allow them to express issues they'd like to be put on the public agenda.
At the start of the year, Asia Society Australia hosted a forum of our Corporate Leaders and Partners. Our experts previewed the year ahead and the issues likely to shape Australia's prosperity and security in Asia. Our members were provided with an opportunity to raise issues they would like to put on the national agenda related to Australia's relations with Asia. We have provided a platform to ventilate these issues and promote debate and discussion.
Additionally we have created a new digital publication. Asia Agenda features discussion of one key issue identified by members which they have also contributed to with their expertise and insights.
This publication is a successor to Disruptive Asia.
Most Recent
VOTE EARLY...
2 March 2024
This year has been variously described as the biggest election year in history to a frightening year for democracy. But as that vexed debate continues, one thing is clear: Asia has kicked off the voting and illustrated the parameters.
From Taiwan to Bhutan and Bangladesh to Tuvalu, some of the themes that will now play out in almost 60 countries holding national level direct elections over the remainder of the year have already been on display. Vibrant democracies are under pressure both internally and externally; flawed electoral regimes are prompting voter boycotts; and small countries are holding votes amid a concern that establishment democracy is under stress around the world, especially in the erstwhile exemplar the United States. (And just to clear up the varying numbers, about 80 countries are holding national votes if the tally includes the European parliament election and indirect votes for leaders and upper houses.)
Indo-Pacific countries only account for less than a quarter of the various elections in the world this year although they account for more than half the population of the countries holding votes. But with two of the world’s three largest elections in India and Indonesia, Asia will arguably play an outsized role in defining the practical state of global democracy.
And with an unusual concentration of polls in South Asia, the World Bank’s latest global outlook has warned that foreign investment and growth there could be endangered by political and social unrest. See DEALS AND DOLLARS
This month’s edition is substantially devoted to our annual comprehensive wrap of regional elections from Pakistan to Palau. And, in DATAWATCH, there is a fascinating chart of how Asian democracy is evolving.
Greg Earl
Briefing MONTHLY editor
But first, the counting so far:
TAIWAN: On January 13, the Democratic Progressive Party reinforced Taiwan’s de facto independence from China by winning the island’s presidency for a record third term in a row since democracy began in 1996. But its failure to win a majority of votes in both the presidential race and of seats in the legislative Yuan suggests it will have a harder time actually running the government. Incoming President William Lai Ching-Te won 40 per cent of the vote and the DPP won 51 seats in the 113 seat Yuan. The once dominant KMT won 33 per cent of the presidential vote and 52 seats. But the rise of the new Taiwan People’s Party to take 26 per cent of the presidential vote and 8 seats suggests a growing proportion of the younger population want a less divisive approach to China and more attention to domestic issues. China has stepped up pressure on Australia to back away from Taiwan in response to the election result.
BANGLADESH: On January 7, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina won her fourth consecutive term in office in a controversial election which saw voter turnout halve to about 40 per cent due to an opposition boycott. Hasina’s Awami League won 223 out of 300 seats with many of the remainder going to its allies due to the Bangladesh National Party refusal to participate in the absence of an independent election administration. Hasina has largely ignored western criticism of her increasingly authoritarian approach to government with both China and India welcoming the result because they have developed close ties with the world’s longest serving female leader.
BHUTAN: On January 9, power changed hands to the liberal People’s Democratic Party (PDP) raising the prospect the country will tilt more towards India from China. The PDP won 30 out of the 47 seats at the fourth election since a constitutional monarchy was established in 2008. The former ruling Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa Party, which was more inclined to compromise with China, was eliminated in a first round of voting in November. The new government led by US-educated Prime Minister, Tshering Tobgay, a former leader, is likely to seek more Indian investment to recover from big tourism losses during the pandemic.
TUVALU: Last Friday, eight new members were elected to Tuvalu’s 16-member single parliamentary chamber, where there are no parties. They will now choose a new president and government to replace the pro-Australia and pro-Taiwan incumbent president Kausea Natano, who lost his seat. This election is significant because questions have been raised about whether the new leadership will support Australia’s Falepili Union agreement with the country which was signed last year, but not yet ratified. Tuvalu is also one of the three remaining Pacific countries to recognise Taiwan after Nauru’s change this month and it could also change sides after the election.
VOTE EARLY...
1 March 2024
This year has been variously described as the biggest election year in history to a frightening year for democracy. But as that vexed debate continues, one thing is clear: Asia has kicked off the voting and illustrated the parameters.
From Taiwan to Bhutan and Bangladesh to Tuvalu, some of the themes that will now play out in almost 60 countries holding national level direct elections over the remainder of the year have already been on display. Vibrant democracies are under pressure both internally and externally; flawed electoral regimes are prompting voter boycotts; and small countries are holding votes amid a concern that establishment democracy is under stress around the world, especially in the erstwhile exemplar the United States. (And just to clear up the varying numbers, about 80 countries are holding national votes if the tally includes the European parliament election and indirect votes for leaders and upper houses.)
Indo-Pacific countries only account for less than a quarter of the various elections in the world this year although they account for more than half the population of the countries holding votes. But with two of the world’s three largest elections in India and Indonesia, Asia will arguably play an outsized role in defining the practical state of global democracy.
And with an unusual concentration of polls in South Asia, the World Bank’s latest global outlook has warned that foreign investment and growth there could be endangered by political and social unrest. See DEALS AND DOLLARS
This month’s edition is substantially devoted to our annual comprehensive wrap of regional elections from Pakistan to Palau. And, in DATAWATCH, there is a fascinating chart of how Asian democracy is evolving.
Greg Earl
Briefing MONTHLY editor
But first, the counting so far:
TAIWAN: On January 13, the Democratic Progressive Party reinforced Taiwan’s de facto independence from China by winning the island’s presidency for a record third term in a row since democracy began in 1996. But its failure to win a majority of votes in both the presidential race and of seats in the legislative Yuan suggests it will have a harder time actually running the government. Incoming President William Lai Ching-Te won 40 per cent of the vote and the DPP won 51 seats in the 113 seat Yuan. The once dominant KMT won 33 per cent of the presidential vote and 52 seats. But the rise of the new Taiwan People’s Party to take 26 per cent of the presidential vote and 8 seats suggests a growing proportion of the younger population want a less divisive approach to China and more attention to domestic issues. China has stepped up pressure on Australia to back away from Taiwan in response to the election result.
BANGLADESH: On January 7, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina won her fourth consecutive term in office in a controversial election which saw voter turnout halve to about 40 per cent due to an opposition boycott. Hasina’s Awami League won 223 out of 300 seats with many of the remainder going to its allies due to the Bangladesh National Party refusal to participate in the absence of an independent election administration. Hasina has largely ignored western criticism of her increasingly authoritarian approach to government with both China and India welcoming the result because they have developed close ties with the world’s longest serving female leader.
BHUTAN: On January 9, power changed hands to the liberal People’s Democratic Party (PDP) raising the prospect the country will tilt more towards India from China. The PDP won 30 out of the 47 seats at the fourth election since a constitutional monarchy was established in 2008. The former ruling Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa Party, which was more inclined to compromise with China, was eliminated in a first round of voting in November. The new government led by US-educated Prime Minister, Tshering Tobgay, a former leader, is likely to seek more Indian investment to recover from big tourism losses during the pandemic.
TUVALU: Last Friday, eight new members were elected to Tuvalu’s 16-member single parliamentary chamber, where there are no parties. They will now choose a new president and government to replace the pro-Australia and pro-Taiwan incumbent president Kausea Natano, who lost his seat. This election is significant because questions have been raised about whether the new leadership will support Australia’s Falepili Union agreement with the country which was signed last year, but not yet ratified. Tuvalu is also one of the three remaining Pacific countries to recognise Taiwan after Nauru’s change this month and it could also change sides after the election.