Opposition parties in Asia to face ‘high’ hurdles in gaining power next year: EIU

Nine national elections will take place in 2024.

Opposition parties will likely face “high hurdles” as incumbent officials running in major elections in Asia are poised to remain in power, a report found. 

In its Asia Elections Monitor 2024, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) linked this challenge to their formal and informal curtailment of activities and functioning. 

“This risks weighing on long-term institutional strength, even if it delivers continuity and stability in the near term,” the report read in part. 

There will be nine national elections in the region with a combined population of 2.2 billion and an aggregate nominal GDP of US$8.9 trillion. 

“While EIU associates elections with a rise in political risk and uncertainty, we anticipate that incumbents will remain in power across the majority of next year’s elections,” the report read in part.

“While anti-establishment and populist sentiment is shaping election outcomes in many parts of the world, it is less apparent as a political force in Asia. The relatively bright economic prospects for the region are a contributing factor.”