https://www.scmp.com/rss/500332/feed The latest news, analysis and videos on the elections in Thailand, Indonesia, India, Philippines, Australia and Japan. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Aidan Jones Aidan Jones His makeover from junta chief to president now complete, Myanmar’s Min Aung Hlaing may seek to tiptoe back into the international fold as a civilian leader. But critics say the change is just a “veneer” that poses a challenge for Asean, the regional bloc that has frozen out Myanmar from its top summits, while its military wages war on its own people. On Friday, a parliament stuffed with military loyalists made Min Aung Hlaing president. They were put there by an election held five years after... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348909/myanmars-junta-chief-min-aung-hlaing-wins-parliamentary-vote-become-president?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348909/myanmars-junta-chief-min-aung-hlaing-wins-parliamentary-vote-become-president?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 06:00:59 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Myanmar cleared the way on Monday for coup-leading General Min Aung Hlaing to become president and maintain his rule in civilian garb, with lawmakers nominating him as a vice-presidential candidate and the junta replacing him as military commander. Min Aung Hlaing has ruled Myanmar since 2021 when he ordered a coup toppling the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi – detaining the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, dissolving her party and triggering civil war. After five years of hardline rule, he... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348416/myanmar-paves-way-junta-chief-be-civilian-president-ruling-iron-fist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348416/myanmar-paves-way-junta-chief-be-civilian-president-ruling-iron-fist?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 10:23:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Mongolia’s ruling party selected a new candidate for prime minister on Sunday after the last head of government, Zandanshatar Gombojav, resigned after only nine months on the job. Uchral Nyam-Osor, the current party chairman who is serving as speaker of the Parliament, was nominated at a meeting of the Mongolian People’s Party, according to state news agency Montsame. Uchral first joined the party in 2009, and is seen as a compromise candidate amid different party factions. Zandanshatar’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348300/mongolian-parliament-selects-new-prime-minister-amid-corruption-allegations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348300/mongolian-parliament-selects-new-prime-minister-amid-corruption-allegations?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 10:35:13 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Nepal’s rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah was sworn in as prime minister on Friday after sweeping the first election since deadly anti-corruption protests toppled the government last year. The 35-year-old reformist and his Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) dominated polls this month on a platform of youth-driven political change. “I, Balendra Shah, in the name of the country and people, pledge that I will be loyal to the constitution,” Shah said, dressed all in black, including his trademark... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3348119/balendra-shah-sworn-nepals-prime-minister?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3348119/balendra-shah-sworn-nepals-prime-minister?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 07:29:03 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari A high-level inquiry in Nepal has held former prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli and other senior government officials responsible for criminal negligence over the shootings in last year’s deadly youth uprising that killed 76 people, as the leak of the crucial report to a local publication triggered criticisms due to its sensitive nature. The committee, led by former judge Gauri Bahadur Karki, has recommended investigation and prosecution of Oli, his home minister Ramesh Lekhak, and former Inspector... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348012/nepals-probe-deadly-uprising-finds-ex-prime-minister-officials-reckless?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348012/nepals-probe-deadly-uprising-finds-ex-prime-minister-officials-reckless?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 11:00:10 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Anutin Charnvirakul sailed through a lower house vote on Thursday to become Thailand’s new prime minister, as the conservative establishment emerges on top after years of bitter struggle with pro-democrats. But Anutin’s vow to reset from years of slumping growth and political crisis has been complicated by the US-Israeli war on Iran, which is costing Thailand tens of millions of dollars each day to prop up fuel prices, with ominous queues forming at petrol stations. Addressing lawmakers before... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3347127/pm-anutin-takes-charge-thailand-mideast-chaos-pressures-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3347127/pm-anutin-takes-charge-thailand-mideast-chaos-pressures-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 06:16:20 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Draped in garlands, Bhumika Shrestha on Monday became Nepal’s first transgender woman lawmaker, marking a proud milestone for the marginalised community in the Himalayan nation. Nepal’s Election Commission confirmed the 37-year-old as a proportional representation MP from the centrist Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), which won a majority in parliament with 182 seats last week. “I am very excited but also feel the responsibility on my shoulders,” said Shrestha, an LGBTQ rights advocate. “Our... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3346797/nepals-lgbtq-community-celebrates-first-transgender-woman-lawmaker?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3346797/nepals-lgbtq-community-celebrates-first-transgender-woman-lawmaker?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 15:00:09 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Five years after armoured vehicles rolled through the streets of Myanmar’s capital and the generals tore up an election result they did not like, a new parliament sat for the first time on Monday. The legislature that convened in Naypyidaw was stacked almost entirely with allies of Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the coup leader who ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021. In Myanmar’s recent election, held across barely a third of the country, the army-backed Union Solidarity... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346724/myanmars-junta-proxy-parliament-meets-first-time-2021-coup?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346724/myanmars-junta-proxy-parliament-meets-first-time-2021-coup?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 06:51:29 +0000 Reuters Reuters ⁠Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn formally opened the new parliament on Saturday, as last month’s general election result faces court scrutiny over bar codes on the ballots that may have violated the law. The bar codes might undermine the secrecy of the ‌ballot, said the country’s Office of the Ombudsman, which petitioned the Constitutional Court to consider the case. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s Bhumjaithai party won a clear victory in the February 8 election, but the ombudsman said... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3346612/thailands-parliament-opens-amid-scrutiny-over-bar-codes-election-ballots?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3346612/thailands-parliament-opens-amid-scrutiny-over-bar-codes-election-ballots?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 12:00:13 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Takato Ishida, the 36-year-old governor of Fukui, has sparked a fresh wave of online attention after new Instagram posts from his prefectural assembly revived the fascination that followed Ishida’s election earlier this year. Many of the reactions have focused less on policy than on Japan’s youngest sitting prefectural leader, with social media users repeatedly praising his appearance and describing him as unusually “handsome” for a politician. The attention first surged shortly after Ishida... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3346240/japans-so-handsome-youngest-governor-36-sets-social-media-abuzz-again?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3346240/japans-so-handsome-youngest-governor-36-sets-social-media-abuzz-again?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 11:01:26 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari Nepal’s incoming government has signalled it will pursue a more pragmatic foreign policy centred on national interests, as the newly victorious Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) seeks to recalibrate relations with both China and India after years of shifting political alignments. In its election manifesto, RSP pledged to pursue “balanced and dynamic diplomacy” with both neighbours, emphasising economic cooperation, cross-border connectivity and trade while transforming Nepal from a “buffer state... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346179/nepals-new-government-signals-shift-india-china-relations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346179/nepals-new-government-signals-shift-india-china-relations?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 06:03:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A Nepali political party led by an ex-rapper is set for a landslide victory in the country’s first parliamentary election since Gen Z protests ousted the old leadership that has ruled the Himalayan nation for decades. The Rastriya Swatantra, or the National Independent Party (RSP), formed only four years ago, had already won 117 of 165 directly elected seats and led in eight other constituencies in the results published on Sunday morning by Nepal’s Election Commission. Other political parties... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3345883/nepali-ex-rapper-will-form-government-after-landslide-election-win?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3345883/nepali-ex-rapper-will-form-government-after-landslide-election-win?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 11:00:26 +0000 Napon Jatusripitak,Duncan McCargo Napon Jatusripitak,Duncan McCargo An iconic “Gang of Four” poster defined the Bhumjaithai Party’s 2026 rebrand. Tailored to project an image of professionalism, signal managerial competence and court the votes of Thailand’s urban middle class, the poster featured party leader and current Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul fronted by three recently recruited technocrats: Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas – all of whom Anutin pledged to reinstate... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3345740/how-win-election-thailand-stage-rebrand-rely-rural-votes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3345740/how-win-election-thailand-stage-rebrand-rely-rural-votes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 04:00:08 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari A 35-year-old rapper and engineer who entered politics just four years ago has beaten a former prime minister in Nepal’s crucial parliamentary election, in a contest widely seen as a referendum on a generational shift in leadership after last year’s youth uprising. Balendra Shah – the former Kathmandu mayor widely known as Balen – surged ahead of 74-year-old communist leader K.P. Sharma Oli in a race for a seat in Nepal’s House of Representatives in the eastern district of Jhapa, election... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345808/nepal-election-rapper-turned-politician-balen-shah-poised-become-next-prime-minister?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345808/nepal-election-rapper-turned-politician-balen-shah-poised-become-next-prime-minister?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 09:18:21 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari Sangharsh Bhusal returned to the spot outside Nepal’s parliament building where police shot him last year. The 28-year-old still bears scars on his head, hand and abdomen from the violence that engulfed Kathmandu during Nepal’s Gen Z uprising, when thousands took to the streets demanding good governance and an end to corruption. It was here, in front of the seat of power, where many young protesters believed their voices should have been heard when gunfire rang out. At least 77 people –... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345168/young-nepalis-hope-post-uprising-election-candidates-shun-same-old-patterns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345168/young-nepalis-hope-post-uprising-election-candidates-shun-same-old-patterns?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:12 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Myanmar’s military junta granted amnesty on Monday to more than 7,000 prisoners convicted of financing or sheltering a “terrorist group”, a designation it has used to outlaw pro-democracy factions opposing its rule. Thousands of dissenting civilians have been swept into jails since Myanmar’s military snatched power in a 2021 coup, ending a decade-long experiment with democracy and detaining elected figurehead Aung San Suu Kyi. Pro-democracy activists backing Suu Kyi and armed groups challenging... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3345128/myanmar-convicts-charged-terrorists-junta-freed-mass-amnesty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3345128/myanmar-convicts-charged-terrorists-junta-freed-mass-amnesty?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 08:53:23 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou Early in 2021, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Myanmar’s capital Naypyidaw and held talks with both General Min Aung Hlaing, the chief of the armed forces, and Aung San Suu Kyi, the de facto leader of the civilian government. The meeting was a chance for China to voice support for Myanmar’s “national conditions” development path and signal China’s long-term pragmatic approach to ties with its southwestern neighbour, irrespective of who was in power. That strategy, however, came under... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343830/5-years-and-1-election-later-why-chinas-myanmar-dilemma-still-isnt-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343830/5-years-and-1-election-later-why-chinas-myanmar-dilemma-still-isnt-over?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 22:00:10 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji The biggest challenges that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has to tackle following its recent victory in the general election are the country’s sluggish economy, high inflation and unemployment. Speaking at a webinar, panellists said voters would judge the new government on its ability to create jobs, tame inflation and steady relations with key partners, even as they commended the peaceful election. Zafar Sobhan, editor of Counterpoint, said: “Let us not forget this was a key driver in... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/explained/article/3344168/bangladesh-faces-daunting-post-election-challenges-economy-garment-sector?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/explained/article/3344168/bangladesh-faces-daunting-post-election-challenges-economy-garment-sector?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 12:25:11 +0000 Sam Beltran,Agence France-Presse Sam Beltran,Agence France-Presse Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio announced on Wednesday that she will run for president in 2028, formally declaring a bid long widely expected as her political camp confronts mounting legal and institutional pressure. “I offer my life, my strength and my future in the service of our nation,” she said in announcing her candidacy. “I am Sara Duterte. I will run for president of the Philippines.” The daughter of former president Rodrigo Duterte used her brief speech to accuse President... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343866/philippines-sara-duterte-throws-hat-ring-2028-presidential-run?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343866/philippines-sara-duterte-throws-hat-ring-2028-presidential-run?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 03:37:20 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall The broad anti-base alliance that has shaped Okinawa’s politics for nearly a decade is reeling after a bruising election defeat, raising questions about the future of organised resistance to the US military presence on Japan’s southernmost islands. All Okinawa – a coalition of opposition parties and civic groups that backs Governor Denny Tamaki and campaigns to curb the US military footprint in the prefecture – failed to win a single one of Okinawa’s four single-seat constituencies in the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343763/what-next-okinawas-anti-base-alliance-after-japan-election-loss?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343763/what-next-okinawas-anti-base-alliance-after-japan-election-loss?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 01:30:14 +0000 Liu Zongyi Liu Zongyi On February 12, Bangladesh held its first official general election since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government. Compared with previous elections marred by violence and turmoil, this one was relatively calm. Although there were scattered allegations of irregularities, international observers generally praised it as one of the most transparent elections in Bangladesh’s history. With voter turnout at nearly 60 per cent, the Bangladeshi people showed strong enthusiasm for change through... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3343612/how-bnps-bangladesh-election-victory-will-shape-policy-trends?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3343612/how-bnps-bangladesh-election-victory-will-shape-policy-trends?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Nepalese candidates launched their campaigns on Monday for next month’s parliamentary election, the first since deadly anti-corruption protests toppled the previous government last year. “This election will draw the future of the country,” Sushila Karki, who is serving as interim prime minister until the March 5 vote, said ahead of the launch. The youth-led protests were triggered by a brief social media ban but were fuelled by anger at economic stagnation and an ageing elite seen as out of... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3343687/campaigning-starts-nepals-first-election-deadly-anti-corruption-protests?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3343687/campaigning-starts-nepals-first-election-deadly-anti-corruption-protests?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 04:16:56 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Bangladesh’s prime minister-in-waiting Tarique Rahman on Saturday dedicated his landslide election win to those who “sacrificed for democracy”, calling for unity after the first polls since a deadly 2024 uprising. Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Rahman, 60, the scion of one of the most powerful political dynasties, is set to lead the South Asian nation of 170 million people after sweeping elections on Thursday. “This victory belongs to Bangladesh, belongs to democracy,” he said, in his... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3343587/bangladesh-pm-be-celebrates-landslide-win-thanks-protesters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3343587/bangladesh-pm-be-celebrates-landslide-win-thanks-protesters?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 11:21:29 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio is facing three new impeachment complaints, setting the stage for renewed scrutiny aimed at preventing her from becoming the country’s next leader. But unseating her and barring her from politics will not be easy. The complaints are awaiting action from the House of Representatives, dominated by President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s allies, which resumes sessions next week. The accusations range from misuse of public funds to an assassination threat... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3343550/philippine-efforts-unseat-duterte-carpio-face-snags-too-popular-impeach?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3343550/philippine-efforts-unseat-duterte-carpio-face-snags-too-popular-impeach?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 00:48:46 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is poised to recalibrate Dhaka’s ties with India, Pakistan and China, while also addressing US concerns over Beijing’s growing influence in South Asia, following its decisive victory in Thursday’s general election. Analysts said this foreign policy agenda aligned with the party’s focus on economic development, even as it aimed to restore law and order after months of political unrest. The BNP said on social media that it had won enough parliamentary seats... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343508/bangladeshs-bnp-set-balance-ties-regional-powers-us-avoid-crossing-red-line?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343508/bangladeshs-bnp-set-balance-ties-regional-powers-us-avoid-crossing-red-line?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 11:08:15 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Thai caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s conservative party, which won a stunning election victory at the weekend, agreed to form a coalition with jailed ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra’s party, both announced on Friday. Anutin’s pro-military and pro-monarchy party had its best electoral performance ever in polls that took place after two rounds of deadly border clashes with Cambodia last year. Thailand’s most successful party of the 21st century, Pheu Thai had its worst election result... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3343502/thai-pms-winning-party-form-coalition-thaksin-backed-pheu-thai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3343502/thai-pms-winning-party-form-coalition-thaksin-backed-pheu-thai?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 10:09:29 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan’s fledgling opposition alliance is scrambling to regroup after a bruising election defeat that has left its future in doubt, raising broader questions about whether the country can sustain a credible parliamentary counterweight to the long-dominant Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). The Centrist Reform Alliance (CRA) is set to elect a new leader on Friday, just days after voters delivered a resounding blow in Sunday’s House of Representatives poll, prompting the resignation of its joint... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343191/japans-new-opposition-alliance-already-dead-water?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343191/japans-new-opposition-alliance-already-dead-water?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 00:00:13 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Sanae Takaichi is not only Japan’s first female prime minister, but has secured an election victory of historic proportions, with unprecedented potential for constitutional revision. A landslide haul of 316 out of 465 seats in the lower house has handed her ruling Liberal Democratic Party the first two-thirds parliamentary supermajority for a single party since World War II. Its right-wing coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, gained a further 36 seats. This has raised concerns that... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3343170/takaichis-election-mandate-wont-give-her-leverage-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3343170/takaichis-election-mandate-wont-give-her-leverage-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 22:45:08 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Allegations of irregularities in Thailand’s election – including vote-buying, uncounted ballots and tallies greater than the names on electoral lists – have gathered momentum, increasing the pressure on polling authorities to hold recounts. Protests across the country have been aimed squarely at the Election Commission (EC). While any potential recounts are unlikely to change the overall result of Sunday’s election, they threaten to slow the formation of a new government. Sunday’s vote saw... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343185/vote-recount-calls-grow-thailand-amid-claims-election-irregularities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343185/vote-recount-calls-grow-thailand-amid-claims-election-irregularities?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 09:30:08 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia’s opposition is in open civil war, with a power struggle threatening to split the main bloc against Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim just two years out from the next general election. Bersatu, or the Malaysian United Indigenous Party, sits at the core of Perikatan Nasional (PN), a conservative alliance whose appeal surged in the 2022 poll to become the largest opposition group after a hung parliament produced a unity government led by Anwar. A succession fight between party chief and former... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343160/malaysian-key-opposition-partys-power-struggle-threatens-dent-election-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343160/malaysian-key-opposition-partys-power-struggle-threatens-dent-election-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 06:09:45 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Nationalism, a deep network of local patronage and a promise to safeguard Thailand’s faltering economy catapulted Anutin Charnvirakul back into the prime minister’s office. By his own admission, the win exceeded expectations. His Bhumjaithai Party secured 193 of the 500 parliamentary seats, according to early unofficial tallies late on Monday – “even more than I asked for”, Anutin told reporters – albeit from what looks likely to be one of Thailand’s lowest voter turnouts in decades. Analysts... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343006/thailand-rejects-radical-change-anutins-right-wing-turn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343006/thailand-rejects-radical-change-anutins-right-wing-turn?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 04:08:15 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Bangladesh’s election campaign entered its final day on Monday before this week’s vote, with rival parties invoking the 2024 uprising that ended the autocratic rule of Sheikh Hasina. Tens of thousands of flag-waving supporters attended a succession of rival rallies across the sprawling capital Dhaka, as parties sought to harness the legacy of the mass uprising and pitch competing visions of change for the country of 170 million in Thursday’s election. The South Asian nation will elect a 350-seat... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3342969/bangladeshs-political-parties-campaign-over-revolutions-legacy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3342969/bangladeshs-political-parties-campaign-over-revolutions-legacy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 15:32:47 +0000 Bloomberg,Agence France-Presse Bloomberg,Agence France-Presse More than three dozen former lawmakers of a pro-democracy party in Thailand face a lifetime ban from politics after the nation’s anti-corruption agency found them in breach of ethical standards over a failed bid to amend the royal insult law. The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) said on Monday that 44 former lawmakers from the now-dissolved Move Forward Party had “failed to uphold and maintain the democratic system of government with the king as head of state” by submitting a petition... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3342963/double-blow-losing-thai-reformist-party-44-members-face-lifetime-ban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3342963/double-blow-losing-thai-reformist-party-44-members-face-lifetime-ban?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 13:55:24 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Japan’s ruling coalition secured a commanding victory in Sunday’s general election, but analysts warn that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s embrace of a hardline conservative agenda could narrow her party’s support base and ultimately weaken its dominance over time. The Liberal Democratic Party-led coalition captured 352 of the 465 seats in the House of Representatives, according to national public broadcaster NHK: well above the two-thirds supermajority required to override upper house... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342931/japans-takaichi-won-election-what-cost-ldp?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342931/japans-takaichi-won-election-what-cost-ldp?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 09:38:04 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi won a landslide election victory, and the nation’s first single-party supermajority since World War II, after a campaign centred on cutting taxes and boosting defence spending amid a dispute with China. Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) was on track to win 316 seats in the 465-seat lower house of parliament, according to public broadcaster NHK, clearing the two-thirds threshold needed to override the upper chamber. The Japan Innovation Party, an LDP... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/article/3342919/takaichi-wins-election-landslide-amid-china-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/article/3342919/takaichi-wins-election-landslide-amid-china-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 09:07:18 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Controversial remarks in Bangladesh by a politician who questioned women’s ability to perform jobs because of their child-bearing role have caused an uproar ahead of the general election in a country where female workers form the spine of its mainstay garment sector. Shafiqur Rahman, the chief of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, also ruled out the possibility of a woman assuming the Islamist party’s top post. In a TV interview, Rahman said women with babies should be given the option of fewer... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3342709/outcry-bangladesh-over-politicians-call-curb-women-workforce?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3342709/outcry-bangladesh-over-politicians-call-curb-women-workforce?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Feb 2026 08:00:26 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Thailand’s conservative Bhumjaithai Party won Sunday’s election as its stability message cut through with the electorate, while the reformist People’s Party failed to convince voters it had the remedy to years of economic drift and political turbulence. Caretaker prime minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s Bhumjaithai was forecast to win nearly 200 seats by Channel 3 on the basis of results from the parties. The progressive People’s Party trailed far behind, just above 100 seats, ahead of jailed former... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342794/thailand-votes-reformists-challenge-conservatives-amid-political-turmoil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342794/thailand-votes-reformists-challenge-conservatives-amid-political-turmoil?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Feb 2026 02:10:53 +0000 Maria Siow,Agencies Maria Siow,Agencies The ruling coalition of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi scored a landslide win in the lower house election on Sunday, with the results pointing to further defence build-up as the country’s leader doubled down on her stoic stance on China. The conservative Takaichi, Japan’s first female leader who says she is inspired by Britain’s “Iron Lady” Margaret Thatcher, secured 316 of the 465 seats in parliament’s lower house for her Liberal Democratic Party, according to a tally by public... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342793/sanae-takaichi-poised-big-win-snow-hit-japan-votes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342793/sanae-takaichi-poised-big-win-snow-hit-japan-votes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Feb 2026 01:00:42 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Social media-savvy young swing voters are emerging as a key demographic for political parties, and some digital platformers are trying to curb the adverse impact of disinformation and fake news on Generation Z by sharing tips ahead of Sunday’s general election. Around 20 junior high and high school students took part in a recent workshop held in Tokyo designed to help them understand the importance of knowing where information comes from and accessing primary sources, as the emergence of... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3342781/japans-teen-voters-must-improve-media-literacy-study-misinformation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3342781/japans-teen-voters-must-improve-media-literacy-study-misinformation?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Feb 2026 13:15:45 +0000 Zuraidah Ibrahim,Kolette Lim Zuraidah Ibrahim,Kolette Lim Hashim Djojohadikusumo is smiling almost beatifically, but the trademark feistiness is unmistakable. We are sitting down for a chat amid the turmoil gripping Indonesia’s capital markets and he says emphatically that “it’s good, it’s good” that it happened. This unvarnished answer is one of several he gives as we talk about his country, nearly two years after his elder brother, Prabowo Subianto, won the presidential election by a wide margin, securing 58.6 per cent of the votes on his third... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3342707/inside-indonesias-inner-circle-hashim-djojohadikusumo-his-brother-prabowos-vision?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3342707/inside-indonesias-inner-circle-hashim-djojohadikusumo-his-brother-prabowos-vision?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Feb 2026 04:30:08 +0000 Treethep Srisa-nga Treethep Srisa-nga On Sunday, Thai voters will do two things at once: elect a new House of Representatives and decide, via referendum, whether to begin drafting a new constitution. Yet Thailand’s recent politics rarely run in a straight line from ballots to a functioning government. The question is whether the next administration can loosen the unelected constraints that shape who governs and what elected leaders can do. Despite two elections since the 2019 transition from military rule, the pattern remains... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3342708/thailands-election-will-pass-verdict-architecture-elite-control?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3342708/thailands-election-will-pass-verdict-architecture-elite-control?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Feb 2026 03:00:24 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Thailand’s rival parties held final rallies late on Friday in a last-ditch push to win over undecided voters among a public craving change but still deeply split over the remedy for years of ulcerous political and economic decline. The People’s Party and Pheu Thai packed out their respective stadium venues in Bangkok on Friday, pumping music to encourage supporters as leaders delivered appeals for every last vote. In contrast, the Bhumjaithai Party’s rally in a convention centre in the capital,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342662/thailand-prepares-vote-can-election-deliver-change-it-needs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342662/thailand-prepares-vote-can-election-deliver-change-it-needs?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 09:05:56 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall It starts as a distant series of distorted notes, carried on the wind through Tokyo’s suburbs. Gradually, it comes closer and the noise builds. Eventually, the van rounds a corner and I am subjected to the full power of a sound system that would not be out of place at a rock concert. Flags flutter from the rear of the white van, which has its party affiliation emblazoned across the bonnet and down both sides. A man in a baseball cap declaring his political preference is behind the wheel and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3342639/annoying-or-background-noise-japans-sound-trucks-full-blast-election-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3342639/annoying-or-background-noise-japans-sound-trucks-full-blast-election-time?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 07:23:06 +0000 Reuters Reuters Bangkok restaurateur Sorathep Steve said he was told off last Saturday by customers who had just flown in from the United States and ordered a bottle of wine, only to be told of Thailand’s election-linked ban on alcohol. “They were frustrated and I had to explain the law,” Sorathep said, recalling how the four guests at his Thai cuisine restaurant complained that they had not come to the country to vote, before finally ordering lemon sodas. Under Thai law, it is illegal to sell, pay for or give... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3342584/thai-election-alcohol-ban-hits-tourism-revenue-during-peak-season?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3342584/thai-election-alcohol-ban-hits-tourism-revenue-during-peak-season?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 02:30:20 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has come under fire for deciding to hold Sunday’s general election during the peak university entrance exam season, with critics saying it has placed an additional burden on students. Takaichi’s abrupt announcement last month to dissolve the House of Representatives has also been questioned, as it will be the first time since 1990 that a lower house election is taking place in February, when some regions experience heavy snowfall. The prime minister has... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3342441/japans-extremely-unreasonable-election-timing-threatens-keep-young-voters-away?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3342441/japans-extremely-unreasonable-election-timing-threatens-keep-young-voters-away?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 02:13:28 +0000 Reuters Reuters The handbag she carries is sold out, her pink pen has gone viral and even her favourite snacks are in hot demand: Japan’s 64-year-old leader Sanae Takaichi has sparked an unlikely youth-led craze that could propel her to a big election win. Polls suggest sanakatsu, roughly translated as “sanamania”, can help give Japan’s first female prime minister a decisive mandate in Sunday’s general election and unleash the spending plans she has promised will jolt the country’s moribund economy. Backed by... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3342349/youth-support-puts-japans-sanae-takaichi-track-landslide?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3342349/youth-support-puts-japans-sanae-takaichi-track-landslide?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2026 07:31:55 +0000 Reuters Reuters Passersby stopped Thailand’s former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva every now and again to ask for selfies ‌as the salt-and-pepper-haired leader walked through a bustling market in Bangkok, campaigning for general elections on Sunday. “Good to see you again, still handsome just like before,” said ‍one noodle vendor, reflecting voters’ persisting warm feelings for the Oxford-trained economist, who is making an unexpected comeback to frontline politics. Abhisit’s return has fuelled a revival of... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3342303/former-thai-prime-minster-abhisit-vejjajiva-returns-lead-democrat-revival-ahead-poll?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3342303/former-thai-prime-minster-abhisit-vejjajiva-returns-lead-democrat-revival-ahead-poll?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2026 02:13:58 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi appears set for a landslide victory in a coming election and is expected to maintain her stoic stance on China but without escalating tensions further, with observers noting Beijing would still be unlikely to engage her administration in the near term. Takaichi’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is on track to win more than the 233 seats needed for a majority in the country’s Lower House election on Sunday, according to an Asahi Shimbun newspaper... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342266/japans-takaichi-eyes-big-election-win-will-china-stance-shift?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342266/japans-takaichi-eyes-big-election-win-will-china-stance-shift?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2026 01:31:42 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, has extended its lead from last week in a new poll on the race ahead of the February 8 election, with 36.1 per cent backing the party, up 6.9 percentage points, the survey showed on Sunday. The Centrist Reform Alliance, a new major opposition force, was second with 13.9 per cent, up 2.0 points. At the single-constituency level, the survey conducted over two days from Saturday showed that 44.0 per cent would vote for... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3342018/japans-takaichi-seeks-mandate-improved-majority-snap-election-poll?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3342018/japans-takaichi-seeks-mandate-improved-majority-snap-election-poll?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Feb 2026 14:33:11 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Myanmar’s junta called for ex-civil servants who quit their jobs in protest over the coup five years ago to report back to work, pledging to remove absent state employees from “blacklists” on Sunday. After the military snatched power in a coup on February 1, 2021, tens of thousands of public workers, including doctors and government administrators, left their posts in a surge of civil disobedience. Some found private employment, while others joined pro-democracy rebels defying the military in a... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3341992/myanmar-junta-pledges-remove-former-civil-servants-blacklists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3341992/myanmar-junta-pledges-remove-former-civil-servants-blacklists?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Feb 2026 08:54:05 +0000