Welcome to 2024! Our team is eagerly looking forward to what has been dubbed “The Year of Elections.”
In India, nearly a billion people will be eligible to vote as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks a third term. Neighbouring countries Pakistan and Bangladesh will also hold elections amidst turmoil. In Southeast Asia, Indonesia is set for a potential change as President Joko Widodo’s son, Gibran, is running as the mate of frontrunner Prabowo Subianto. The European Union will have parliamentary elections, with over 400 million people expected to vote. Several other countries, including Belgium, Austria, and Portugal, will also hold elections. The United Kingdom is likely to hold polls in late 2024 or early 2025. However, the elections with the greatest geopolitical significance will be Taiwan’s in January and the year-long campaign leading up to the United States’ presidential election in November.
Some contests we’ll be closely tracking are:
Bangladesh
General elections are scheduled, with significant implications for the country’s future direction. To find out more about the situation in Bangladesh, refer to our previous coverage:
India
The world’s largest democracy is set for general elections, an event that always garners global attention due to its sheer scale and the impact on regional and global politics. Our post on recent state elections indicates the probable direction of the general election.
Pakistan
General elections are also anticipated in Pakistan, a key player in South Asian geopolitics. We have a situational brief on Pakistan to provide background:
Taiwan
Presidential and legislative elections are expected. Taiwan’s elections are particularly notable due to the island’s unique geopolitical situation. We’ve written two posts so far about Taiwan:
Expect further coverage of these elections, and well as further briefings on countries such as Indonesia and Sri Lanka throughout the year.