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On 18 June 2021, the UN General Assembly adopted a Resolution which calls upon the Myanmar armed forces “to respect the will of the people as freely expressed by the results of the general election of 8 November 2020, to end the state of emergency, to respect all human rights of all the people of Myanmar and to allow the sustained democratic transition of Myanmar, including the opening of the democratically elected pa

“Authoritarianism is on the rise, but resilience and democratic pushbacks are alive as well”. This headline properly captures the democratic trends in the Asia and Pacific region, characterised by extraordinary diversity in terms of country size, traditions, development but also of regime types and performances. These range from some of the most enduring autocratic regimes to some of the best performing democracies in the world.

Two years out from the next Indonesian election, preparations are well underway for political parties in one of the world’s most populous democracies. As a presidential representative democracy for more than 20 years, the country has upwards of 80 political parties. Despite this vibrant political environment, Indonesia’s democracy has shown signs of democratic backslides, notably in the areas of corruption and parliamentary effectiveness. 

This Brief examines the impact of Covid-19 on systems of government, emergency response and opposition members in legislatures and their ability to maintain democratic principles. Drawing on insights from five countries as case studies, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Republic of Korea and Singapore, this Brief finds that emergency responses that restrict the capacity of the legislature erode the ability of opposition members to contribute.

“Ensuring accountability for past actions, developing mechanisms for transitional justice, enshrining the principles of equality and protection of rights of all ethnic, religious and gender minorities, including Rohingya and other marginalized groups in Myanmar’s future federal constitution and combating all forms of injustice are vital for democracy and constitutional reform in a country and failing to uphold these principles could threaten the country's entire populations.” Wai

International IDEA condemns in the strongest possible terms the extra-legal executions of four democracy defenders in Myanmar, which mark yet another shocking escalation of the violence perpetrated by the military junta. International IDEA associates itself with the wide condemnation of these executions by the international community and the Myanmar national organizations, including the National Unity Government (NUG).

International IDEA and Perludem are excited to announce the launch of the Electoral Redistricting App (ERA). The release of this unique and free Geographic Information System (GIS) software has been designed to empower electoral management bodies (EMBs), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), researchers and other electoral stakeholders around the world to engage in the process of electoral districting. 

This brief explores how constitutional advocates for women’s equality in Myanmar can advance women’s representation and meaningful participation in public decision-making and institutions. It looks at how different countries have aimed to do this through their constitutions, and what lessons can be learned for your own advocacy strategies.

Every major political process, whether peace negotiations, elections, parliamentary terms, constitutional reform or other forms of decision-making, can contribute to challenging gender inequality in public life. This brief explores how to be an effective constitutional advocate for gender equality and women’s rights in Myanmar.

This brief explores inclusion strategies for constitutional and democratic reform in the post-coup context of Myanmar. It highlights the challenges to gender equality and inclusion in Myanmar, including the role and demands of the pro-democracy actors in Myanmar’s post-coup political landscape. It analyses how inclusive Myanmar’s legitimate interim government institutions are and what the revised Federal Democracy Charter states about gender and inclusion.

This brief explores how gender-based violence in Myanmar, particularly violence against women and girls, is addressed in the absence of a clear constitutional provision and legal protection.

In the current interim period in Myanmar, with an illegitimate military regime in power and efforts by the interim governance institutions under way to build and enable a transition to a genuine democracy, the formation of an interim electoral management body—like a government and a legislature—is urgent and necessary as a key institution to support and prepare for the restoration of democracy.

Under its MyConstitution programme, International IDEA continues to support the legitimate interim government institutions of Myanmar in their pursuit of restoring democracy and constitutional governance since the 2021 coup, together with an increasing number of young civil servants who are emerging as change-makers in Myanmar’s interim National Unity Government (NUG), its interim parliament, the Committee Representing the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH) and the inclusive platform of the

Indonesia’s media landscape is certainly one of extremes—it is both the largest news media market in southeast Asia and one of the most complex. Like most countries in the region, there are well-founded fears about fake news and defamation, and the impact both are having on the country’s democratic process.

Under the theme of ‘Taking Parliament to the People’, International IDEA and Bhutan’s Parliamentary Secretariat jointly hosted a three-day workshop for members and staff of the country’s parliament. Held from 20-22 May 2022, the workshop was designed to increase the use of public hearings in Bhutan’s parliamentary process.

Lessons for future elections can been drawn from both the success and failures of the Republic of Korea’s 20th presidential election in 2022, which was, in part, significantly informed by the 2020 National Assembly election.

A NEW CONSTITUTION FOR MYANMAR: Towards Consensus on an Inclusive Federal Democracy provides a study of the constitutional history and trajectory of Myanmar, together with an analysis of the positions of certain key stakeholders in Myanmar with regard to constitutional issues.

On 1 February 2021, the Myanmar military staged a coup and unconstitutionally declared a one-year state of emergency transferring all state powers to the Commander-in-Chief. Against the backdrop of Myanmar’s political crisis and a steady transformation commonly known as the ‘Spring Revolution’, the broadest front of resistance, known as the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC), endorsed and published a new Federal Democracy Charter in April.

Against the backdrop of the pandemic and an adversarial campaigning period, counting is almost complete and indicates a likely return for the Marcos political dynasty in the Philippines with the election of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. His father, overthrown in a 1986 revolution, is remembered as a dictatorial ruler accused of corruption, kleptocracy and brutality. 

Since the coup conducted by the Myanmar military on 1 February 2021, the military regime has attempted to portray itself as the country’s legitimate government by arguing that it is adhering to the 2008 Constitution.