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Asia elections

Asia elections
The latest news, analysis and videos on the elections in Thailand, Indonesia, India, Philippines, Australia and Japan.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul reacts at parliament in Bangkok on Thursday. Photo: AFP
Thailand

Anutin takes charge in Thailand as Mideast chaos pressures economy

Facing economic challenges and border tensions with Cambodia, the prime minister has pledged swift responses to public needs.

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Nepal

Nepal’s LGBTQ community celebrates first transgender woman lawmaker

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Myanmar

Myanmar’s junta-proxy parliament meets for first time since 2021 coup

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Thailand

Thailand’s parliament opens amid scrutiny over bar codes on election ballots

The ombudsman has cited 21 public complaints that bar codes and QR codes on the ballots could be used to ⁠identify how people voted.

A view of the Thai parliament in Bangkok in September 2025. Photo: EPA
Japan

‘He’s so handsome’: Japan’s youngest governor, 36, sets social media abuzz again

Fans of Takato Ishida continue to swoon over him, even as the Fukui governor has to deal with his predecessor’s sexual harassment scandal.

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Nepal

Nepal just elected a rapper for PM. His foreign policy has a new beat

Newly elected Balendra Shah’s public messaging suggests a balanced approach rather than a tilt to either side, analysts say.

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Nepal

Nepali ex-rapper will form government after landslide election win

Balendra Shah emerged as a leading figure in the 2025 uprising that ousted former Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli.

Balendra Shah, a rapper-turned-politician and the prime ministerial candidate for RSP, shows his winning certificate to his supporters as he celebrates after winning the election, in Damak, Jhapa district, Nepal, on Saturday. Photo: Reuters
Thailand

Asian Angle | How to win an election in Thailand: stage a rebrand, rely on rural votes

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul put Bhumjaithai’s technocrats centre stage, while letting provincial barons run the real campaign.

Nepal

Nepal election: rapper-turned-politician Balen Shah beats former prime minister

The 35-year-old former Kathmandu mayor’s defeat of K.P. Sharma Oli means he is on track to head the next government.

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Protests around the world

Video | Nepal votes after Gen Z protests

Nearly 19 million Nepalis are choosing 275 members of parliament in an election seen as a test of stability.

People queue to vote at a polling station during the general election in Damak, Jhapa district, Nepal, March 5, 2026. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
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Nepal

Video | Nepal to choose new government following Gen Z protests

Nearly 19 million people have registered to vote, with 800,000 taking part for the first time.

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Nepal

‘This is our moment’: Nepal’s Gen Z voters hope for ‘turning point’ in election

While all the parties have pledged economic growth and job creation, thousands are leaving Nepal each day in search of a better life.

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Myanmar

Myanmar convicts charged as ‘terrorists’ by junta freed in mass amnesty

Activists and armed groups fighting the junta have been labelled ‘terrorist’ outfits, and punished with life prison terms and possible death sentences.

Myanmar

Why China’s Myanmar dilemma still persists, 5 years and 1 election later

Old concerns about stability and security linger as other big players vie for sway over Myanmar’s rare earth bounty and strategic location.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Bangladesh

Bangladesh faces daunting post-election challenges in economy, garment sector

A key concern for Dhaka is the upgrade to developing nation status, with the key garment sector set to face stiffer competition.

Garment workers tailor clothes in a factory in Tongi, on the outskirts of Dhaka. Photo: AFP
The Philippines

Philippines’ Sara Duterte declares early 2028 run amid mounting legal pressure

Analysts say the vice-president’s timing aims to deter defections and harden political lines ahead of a prolonged contest.

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Japan

Okinawa voters shift away from concerns over US military presence

Analysts point to a shift in priorities among younger Okinawans as a possible factor in the alliance’s bruising defeat in the election.

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Bangladesh

Opinion | Bangladesh’s BNP could struggle to enact reforms despite election win

While the BNP’s margin of victory should help ensure stability, its roots in the old order could limit the speed and reach of reforms.

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Tarique Rahman, the son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia and chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, waves to the crowd during an election rally in Dhaka, on February 8. Photo: AP
Nepal

Nepal starts campaign for first election since deadly anti-corruption protests

Nearly 19 million people have registered to vote, including 800,000 taking part for the first time.

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Bangladesh

Bangladesh PM-to-be celebrates landslide win, thanks protesters

Prime minister-in-waiting Tarique Rahman dedicated his victory to those who ‘sacrificed for democracy’ after the first polls since a deadly 2024 uprising.

The Philippines

Too popular to impeach? Philippine efforts to unseat Duterte-Carpio face snags

There is some uncertainty over whether President Marcos’ allies would be able to make up the numbers to support the complaints.

Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte Carpio leaves the Department of Justice after filing a response to the National Bureau of Investigation complaint over her alleged threat to President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr on May 9, 2025. Photo: AFP
Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s BNP set to balance ties with powers to avoid crossing ‘red line’

The party will focus on economic growth after the election while fostering cordial ties with India, Pakistan, China and the US, analysts say.

A poster of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairman and election candidate Tarique Rahman is displayed outside the party office in Dhaka on Friday. Photo: AFP
Thailand

Thai PM agrees to form coalition with Thaksin-backed Pheu Thai

The 2 parties were previously coalition partners, until PM Anutin pulled out over a Cambodia border dispute scandal last June.

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Japan

A doomed experiment? Japan’s opposition struggles to regroup amid crushing loss

A 124-seat collapse has left the Centrist Reform Alliance in tatters, with observers calling the defeat a ‘debacle of epic proportions’.

Japan

Editorial | Takaichi’s election mandate won’t give her leverage with China

The Japanese prime minister’s hawkish stance will only further inflame tensions over Taiwan – and popularity at home won’t temper Beijing’s response.

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, speaks during a press conference at the LDP headquarters in Tokyo on February 9. Photo: Pool / AFP
Thailand

Vote recount calls grow in Thailand amid claims of election irregularities

The People’s Party, among others, cites ‘clear evidence of irregularities during the tallying process’, including vote-buying and tampering.

A Thai demonstrator holding a banner reading “nationwide vote recount” shouts slogans during a protest at the Office of The Election Commission of Thailand in Bangkok on Wednesday. Photo: EPA
Malaysia

In Malaysia, civil war erupts between key opposition leaders ahead of poll

Bersatu, a party in the PN alliance, is riven by a succession fight between its two top leaders ahead of the next general election.

Thailand

Thailand rejects radical change with Anutin’s ‘right-wing turn’

Voters weary of upheaval embraced Bhumjaithai’s technocratic promises of debt relief and subsidies, sidelining the reformist People’s Party.

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