Why 2019 is a big election year across the globe

AS 2018 transitions into 2019, attention is turning to the wide range of key elections in the next 12 months. These span the globe from the Asia-Pacific to the Americas, and will have potentially big impacts for domestic politics, economics, and international relations well into the 2020s.

In the Asia-Pacific, there is an Indian general election, a Hong Kong local ballot, an Indonesian presidential election, a national ballot in the Philippines, plus an Afghan presidential election (unless the latter is delayed because of security concerns).

Perhaps, most eye-catching will be the Indian ballot, with 850 million eligible to vote, with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a landmark second term of governmental office against the Indian Congress Party under the dynastic leadership of Rahul Gandhi who is the son, grandson and great-grandson of previous prime ministers.