Election security

 

Image Credit: Dwynn Trazo/©Gulf News

2018 will be massive election year

The eyes of much of the world are currently on the United States with the Trump tax cuts which the president hopes will boost the prospects of the Republican Party in November’s congressional elections. However, beyond the United States, there are a wide range of eye-catching ballots in the next 12 months, across every continent, which will have very important ramifications for domestic politics, economics, and international relations for years to come.

In the Middle East, for instance, there is a Bahrani parliamentary ballot; Iraqi general election; and Lebanese parliamentary ballot. The latter will be widely watched coming soon after Prime Minister Sa’ad Hariri’s now rescinded resignation after he accused coalition partner Hezbollah, and Iran, of spreading discord across the region.

In Africa, there is a general election in Zimbabwe, a parliamentary ballot in Rwanda, a parliamentary election in Libya, and a presidential ballot in Egypt. The latter, very likely to see President Abdul Fattah Al Sissi’s re-election, will nonetheless be closely monitored given the country’s strategic importance in the region.

In Asia-Pacific region, there is a Thai general election; Malaysian parliamentary ballot; and Pakistani general election. The Thai election, the first since the military coup in 2014, will be particularly closely watched with the country still badly divided between the Puea Thai party, the military and urban elites.

In Europe, there is a Hungarian parliamentary election; Irish presidential ballot; Italian general election; and Russian presidential ballot. Although the latter’s result is almost certainly a foregone conclusion, with Vladimir Putin the overwhelming favourite, it will be closely monitored given victory would mean he could achieve the remarkable feat of being prime minister or president from 1999 to 2024, a longer period at the top than all the Soviet Union’s supreme leaders, except Joseph Stalin.