The business of getting elected

THE eyes of much of the world will be on the US presidential and legislative elections in 2016 with Democrats and Republicans fighting for control of the White House and Congress. However, there is a much wider range of eye-catching ballots taking place in the next 12 months, especially in the Asia-Pacific, which will have important ramifications for domestic politics, economics and international relations for years to come.

This includes the Taiwanese presidential and legislative polls on Jan 16; the South Korean legislative election in April; the Vietnamese legislative ballot and the Philippine presidential and legislative polls in May; the Japanese legislative election in July; and the Hong Kong legislative ballot in September. There will also be a legislative poll in Thailand before the end of the year, and the strong possibility of one in Australia too.

Outside the Asia-Pacific, there will also be important elections in states in every other continent of the world, including presidential ones in Portugal and the Central African Republic in January; a legislative ballot in Iran in February; a legislative poll in Ireland and a presidential election in Peru in April; a legislative ballot in Scotland in May; a legislative election in Russia in September; and also the prospect of legislative polls in Qatar and Afghanistan too.