From Japan to Georgia, 6 stories from 6 weekend elections

Elections were held in six countries over the weekend (October 25-27) across continents.

While some threw up results along expected lines, some elections brought unexpected setbacks to ruling parties and at least one decided the nation’s geopolitical alignment for the foreseeable future.

Elections were held in Bulgaria, Japan, Georgia, Lithuania, Uruguay, and Uzbekistan. Here is how these elections played out.

Japan

After taking over as the premier following predecessor Fumio Kishida’s resignation, Shigeru Ishiba called snap elections last month. While he sought a renewed mandate from the people to strengthen the legitimacy of the new government, the voters delivered a historic defeat to Ishiba’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

The LDP, which had ruled Japan since 2009, lost parliamentary majority. In the 465-member parliament, the LDP-led coalition won 215.

Even as a change of government is not expected at once and the LDP is expected to continue ruling either as a minority government or by securing support from newer quarters, the agenda of the government stands compromised as bills are now surely going to be challenged in the parliament and adjustments would certainly be made to muster support to pass them.

Public anger over a slush fund scandal involving LDP leaders is among the reasons for the party’s historic debacle.

Georgia

Georgia’s pro-Russia Georgia Dream (GD) party declared victory in Saturday’s elections. The Opposition United National Movement (UNM) has rejected the results and the European Union (EU) and United States have flagged allegations of voter fraud and electoral malpractices in the elections and called for a fair probe.

In more than a decade of rule, the GD has established an authoritarian regime in Georgia and has moved the country into Russia’s orbit. The GD regime has replicated Russia’s playbook in the state, bringing a foreign agent law and an LGBTQ law. It has also followed the Russian playbook of bashing the West’s ‘LGBTQ agenda’ and has built closer partnerships with China and Iran.

With GD expected to be in power for the foreseeable future, Georgia’s accession to EU is effectively suspended for now and the nation is set to be a Russian proxy in its ongoing aggression against Europe. Protests are scheduled to start in Georgia today against GD.

Lithuania

In the second round of elections in Lithuania on Sunday, the ruling Conservatives conceded defeat and Opposition Social Democrats (SD) party declared victory and is set to hold talks to form a governing coalition.

The SDP is expected to maintain Lithuania’s hawkish stance against Russia and hefty defence spending, according to DW News.

SDP leader Vilija Blinkeviciute has also vowed to tackle inequality in Lithuania by raising taxes on the wealthy to help fund social support and healthcare, as per DW.

Bulgaria

In the seventh elections in three years, Bulgaria’s centre-right GERB party was in the lead but was still short of the majority-mark, according to exit polls cited by Reuters.

The latest round of polling was necessitated as parties failed to form a government after the June 9 election.

Bulgaria is currently in the process of joining the EU and political instability and poor financial state have already delayed the accession.

Plans to join the EU’s eurozone have already been pushed back twice because of missed inflation targets and accession is currently slated for January 2025, as per Reuters.

Writing for the agency, Georgi Slavov noted that Bulgaria needs a period of stable, well-functioning government to accelerate the flow of EU funds to help the nation’s infrastructure woes and nudge it towards adoption of the euro.

The election reported low voter turnout amid surveys showing that only 10 per cent Bulgarians trust the electoral and democratic processes in the country compared to the European average of 62 per cent.

Uruguay

Uruguay’s Sunday vote threw up an inconclusive verdict and the nation is now headed to runoff elections. The second round of voting is scheduled for next month.

With around 90 per cent of the votes counted, it became clear that neither of the two leading candidates would cross the 50 per cent-mark. Opposition leader Yamandú Orsi from a centre-left bloc is leading with 41 per cent of votes compared to incumbent centre-right party’s candidate Álvaro Delgado’s 27 per cent, according to Associated Press.

Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan is set to elect a rubber-stamp parliament in the Sunday’s elections.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has ruled Uzbekistan since 2016 and even though he implemented liberal economic reforms and an eased his predecessor’s draconian restrictions on political, religious, and media freedoms, the parliamentary elections were held practically without any opposition, according to Reuters.