Working Towards Democracy

Political Systems and Governments in South East Asia 

 

DEmocracy can be defined as government by and for the people. Power rests in the people, who have the ability to exercise this power either directly or through freely elected agents whom they have chosen. Key aspects of democracy include: competitive multi-party elections, freedom of speech, freedom of press, and majority rule with protection of minority rights. Civilian control of the military is an important aspect of democracy, preventing military dictatorship and interference. 

 

Both Malaysia and Singapore have practiced forms of democracy since receiving independence in the 1950s. Since the late 1980s, South East Asia has been on a slow road toward democracy. In 1986, the “people power” protest in The Philippines led to the ousting of Dictator Ferdinand Marcos. This event encouraged democratization across the region. In Thailand, the Thai military, responsible for numerous coups, handed back politics to elected civilian governments in the 1990s. After decades of conflict, Cambodia held free, multi-party elections and adopted a new constitution in 1993.

 

Cambodia

Cambodia is a parliamentary, representative democratic monarchy with a multi party system.

 

The Prime Minister, currently Hun Sen, is head of the Royal Government and the King, Norodom Sihamoni, is head of state, with a largely ceremonial role. The Prime Minister and his ministerial appointees have executive governing power. The legislative (law making) power is held by the two chambers of Parliament, the Senate and the National Assembly. Hun Sen has served as Prime Minister since 1985. His party, the Cambodian Peoples Party, rules with the royalist FUNCINPEC party. The next election is scheduled on July 28^th this year.

 

Thailand

 

Thailand is governed as a democratic constitutional monarchy. King Bhumibol Adulyadej currently serves as Thailand’s head of state and is the world’s longest reigning monarch. Since 1932, Thailand has had 18 coup d’etats and a range of governments from military dictatorships to electoral democracies. On 19 September 2006, a military junta took power fromo the democratically elected government of Thaksin Shinawatra. Viewed as a setback for the advancement of democracy in the region, the junta discarded the existing constitution, dissolved Parliament and the Constitutional Court, and established martial law. General Surayud Chulanont was appointed as interim Prime Minister.

 

Recently, however, Thailand has been moving back in the direction of democratic governance. A new constitution was approved by a referendum on August 19, 2006, and democratic elections were held on December 23, 2007. The People’s Power Party won 233 seats and formed a coalition with the five smallest parties. Peoplke’s Pover Party leader, Samak Sundaravej, has since become the Prime Minister of the country.

 

 

Malaysia

 

Malaysia is a federal constitutional elective monarchy, closely modeled after the Westminster Parliamentary System of England, as Malaysia is a former colony of the United Kingdom. Abullah Ahmad Badawi serves as the current POrime Minister of the country. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong or King of Malaysia, currently Mizan Zainal Abidin, is selected from the nine hereditary Sultans of the Malay states (the other four states, which have titular Governors, do not participate in the selection) and elected to five-year terms.

 

Since its 1957 independence, Malaysia has been governed by a multi-party coalition known as the Barsan Nasional National Front. Legislative power is divided between federal and state legislatures. Parliament consists of the lower house, the House of Representatives, and the upper house, the Senate. Elections are held at least once every five years, the last one occurring in March 2004.

 

Singapore

 

Singapore is a republic with democratic unicameral parliamentary government, also based on the British Westminster system. While the role of the President, S R Nathan, is largely ceremonial, he has a few veto abilities in decisions regarding government spending and in the appointment of senior civil servant positions. The People’s Action Party (PAP) has controlled Singaporean politics since self-government was attained, with Lee Hsien Loong, son of lont-time P.M. Lee Kuan Yew, currently serving as Prime Minister. In consequence, foreign political analysts and several opposition parties have argued tat Singapore is essentially a one-party state.

 

Vietnam

 

The socialist Republic of Vietnam is a sigle party state in which the Communist Party plays a central role in all bodies of the government. The President of Vietnam, Nguyen Minh Triet, is regarded as the head of state and commander in chief of the country’s military. The Prime Minister of Vietnam, Nguyen Tan Dung, is the head of government, possessing the majority of the country’s executive power. He leads a council of deputy prime ministers and misters, all from the Nationa Assembly. Composed of 498 members, the National Assembly is a single body legislature, superior to the executive and judicial branches of the government. The supreme People’s Court of Vietnam, the highest court in the nation, also answers to the National Assembly.

 

Laos

 

The communist Laos People’s Revolutionary Party is the only legal party in Laos, and there is no open political competition in the country. The communist party holds 98 of 99 seats in the assembly. Choummaly Sayasone currently serves as president of Laos and head of the ruling party, after being appointed by the party’s National Assembly.

 

 

Burma

 

Burma has been without democratic rule since 1962, when General Ne Win led a coup that installed a military junta. The junta remains in power today. General Than Shwe, chairman of the State Peace and Development Council, is the current head of state. The National League for Democracy party, under Aung San Suu Kyi, won Burma’s 1990 multi-party elections, but was not allowed to govern when the junta refused to step down. After \mass protests in September 2007 and increased international criticism, the junta has called brief meeting with Suu Kyi to discuss the future of democracy in the country.