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Political Dynasty: The Politics of South Asia
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The dynastic trend in politics in South Asian countries is now complete with the ascent of Bangabandhu’s (the Founding Father of Bangladesh) grandson, Sajiv, in Bangladesh politics. Political dynasties are nothing new in the world but much of it has been wiped out, as is the case of France, or ceremonially kept as a political settlement as in the United Kingdom.
The USA is unique in that it has no political dynasties. Families are involved in politics but each must succeed by his own merit. The USA is one exception where power has been decentralised with checks and balances; although now the US federal government has become a vast bureaucratic machine, a Leviathan, and controls the American people and those of the world in various ways. |
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Freedom House Downgrades Putin’s Russia to "Not Free"
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| For the first time since the fall of Communism, Russia is listed as “Not Free” in the Freedom House’s annual survey Freedom in the World. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s assaults on free speech and capitalism, as well as his government’s interference with free elections in the Ukraine all contributed to the demotion. In a press release from Freedom House, Executive Director Jennifer Windsor said, “Russia's step backwards into the Not Free category is the culmination of a growing trend under President Vladimir Putin to concentrate political authority, harass and intimidate the media, and politicize the country's law-enforcement system." |
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China's One Child Policy
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| According to a report in the October 4, 2004 edition of the Wall Street Journal, the Chinese government is considering ending its “one child policy” due to demographic and fiscal concerns. As it stands, China is facing a population imbalance, with many more men than women, low birth rates, and a decreasing workforce that may be unable to support the social security programs elderly residents depend on. The government is currently studying plans to gradually phase-out the policy; one currently under consideration calls for ending the multiple births ban in eastern provinces with low birth rates first, followed by removal of the restriction in western provinces, the Straits Times reported. |
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Islamic Democracy Shows Signs of Success in Indonesia
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| Indonesia held its presidential election on September 20th, and voters chose challenger Susilo Yudhoyono in what appears to be a landslide over incumbent Megawati Sukarnoputri. Mr. Yudhoyono, nicknamed SBY, is a retired general who served under former dictator Suharto. He is considered to be a secularist, though his views on how to combat terrorism are somewhat of a mystery; he is also considered to be more of a detail-oriented leader than Ms. Megawati, according to the New York Times. Mr. Yudhoyono has not claimed victory yet, he must wait for Ms. Megawati to concede, but it appears as though Indonesia’s transition to democracy has been a success. An editorial in Republika, an Indonesian paper, wrote that the election, which marks the first time citizens were able to directly elect their leader, was a, “golden chance for all Indonesian political elites, religious and social figures to unite and enter the gate which society has opened.” If initial reports are right, Indonesians seized the opportunity and proved that Islamic democracy can work, and their first directly elected president is going about organizing his administration. |
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Putin's Push for Power
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| On September 13th, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a comprehensive set of reforms intended to thwart future terrorist attacks in the country, ten days after Chechen terrorists killed over 300 people during a school siege in the North Ossetian city of Beslan. Interestingly, the reforms put forth by Mr. Putin focus mainly on changes in the country’s electoral system, rather than the beleaguered intelligence, law enforcement, and political issues at the root of the Chechen problem. As reported by the New York Times, Mr. Putin said he was instituting the reforms to create “a real dialogue and interaction between power and society in the fight against terror.” However, the power he refers to rests with himself and his party, United Russia, while society is left to suffer the consequences. |
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Hong Kong Elections Marked by Scandal, Corruption and Unrest
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| Voters in Hong Kong went to the polls on September 12th to vote for its Legislative Council (LegCo) representatives. Voter turnout set a record, with 1.78 million votes cast of 3.2 million eligible voters, according to Asia News. Observers noted suspicious activity at some polling stations, such as full ballot boxes early in the day, the New York Times reported. Democratic candidates received fewer votes than expected, although they did win 24 of 60 possible seats, a net gain of 3 seats. The results surprised many international observers, given the large pro-democracy protests that occurred over the summer concerning Beijing’s more aggressive displays of force in the past few months. However, if one takes into account Hong Kong’s still strong economy and the recent scandals that have beleaguered the province’s democratic party, the results of Sunday’s election make more sense. |
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Reign of Terror Continues in Russia
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| The September 3rd tragedy involving the terrorist massacre of a school in the North Ossetian city of Beslan was the culmination of a summer of terrorist tragedies in Russia that have included the hijacking of two airplanes and the bombing of a Moscow subway station. Orchestrated by militant Chechen separtatists, approximately 30 militants stormed into School No. 1 on the first day of the new school year, forcing 1,200 students and parents into the gym for a stand-off that lasted two days; when the siege ended 326 hostages were dead and 727 wounded. The incident in Beslan underscores the need for a change in Russian policy regarding Chechnya, hopefully ending in a framework that will either give the Chechens their independence, or at the very least end the bloody cycle of violence that has lasted more than a century. A predominantly Muslim region in Southwestern Russia, Chechnya is home to a long-standing, violent separatist movement, now with suspected ties to al-Qaeda, but with historical roots that date back to the Russian imperial army’s conquest of the North Caucusus in the mid 1800s. |
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Discarding Deadly Politics
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Bangladesh’s violent political history is well known. The people here are peaceful but the politicians of the country are not. Military rule or one-party dictatorships have been replaced in favor of outright anarchy and lawlessness, perpetuated by political leaders in the name of democracy.
Violence has become as destructive as natural disasters for the citizens of Bangladesh. There is, however, a big difference in how civil society reacts to deadly politics. When natural disasters, or brutal killings strike poor, rural areas there is a mild reaction from the elites. Reactions and concerns turn severe, however, if the capital city is threatened with flood or a top politician or an intellectual is, unfortunately, bombed to death. |
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