Know Who Is On The Latest Global Election Hot List.
The US, Pakistan, and Indonesia top the global election hot list.
Elections in 2024 will define the year. It can be difficult to keep track of votes at all because there are so many of them cast worldwide. This week: Turkey’s opposition prepares for municipal elections; a court ruling in Pakistan throws elections into disarray; and the far-right gains ground in Finland.
- Pakistan:
A ban on election symbols results in pandemonium.
The famous cricket bat emblem of Pakistan’s former prime minister has been banned from being used by his party, adding to the political unrest ahead of the election in February. To make themselves clearly recognisable to voters—many of whom speak many languages and some of whom are illiterate—political parties in Pakistan use distinctive emblems. Rather, Imran Khan’s PTI candidates will contest as independent,possibly placing them in a less favourable position. Attempts to obstruct a dominant party may result in chaos because polls suggest that the PTI may win a majority of seats in the next election.
- United States
Fallout from Iowa
Primary in New Hampshire on January 23, 2024
Following his decisive victory in Iowa, former President Donald Trump will face off in New Hampshire on Tuesday. Despite tying for the top position in a recent survey in New Hampshire, Nikki Haley remained in the race while billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis withdrew in response to the Iowa caucus results. It’s possible that the Trump campaign is combining recent endorsements.
- Indonesia’s transition to TikTok
Election of the President on February 14, 2024
To devastating effect, the “brutal general” leading Indonesia’s presidential contest has used TikTok to sanitise his image for the electorate. Prabowo Subianto is accused of violating human rights while serving in the military under his father-in-law’s regime. However, Subianto’s social media campaign is trying to paint him as “just a harmless grandpa,” capitalising on the ignorance of younger Indonesians about his past with viral photos that show him dancing and cuddling with
- A test of opposition in Turkey
2024 municipal elections
The opposition’s first significant test since losing the presidential race last year will come in the form of the May local elections in Turkey. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s opponent and current mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, sees the elections as a chance to “send a message” to the administration because the largest city in the nation is up for grabs. Five years ago, Imamoglu’s party shocked the ruling AKP in Istanbul by defeating them.
- There are allegations of French interference in Senegal.
Election of the President on February 25, 2024
Following the government’s revocation of his dual citizenship, a rival Senegalese presidential contender claimed to have benefited from French intervention. The son of former Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade, Karim Wade, gave up his position as a French national in order to contest the election in February. The decree issued by the French government was characterised as “blatant interference” and “neocolonialism” by Thierno Alassane Sall, his opponent. Sall made reference to the French sphere of influence in Africa when he remarked, “Françafrique must die.” Ultimately, Wade was unable to vote.
- Bucele dominates El Salvador.
Election of the President on February 4, 2024
Only a few weeks before the elections, Nayib Bukele, the strongman president of El Salvador, is still leading the polls. There is hardly any resistance to Bukele in the next elections, according to independent pollsters. Though he has referred to himself as a dictator, bet the nation’s money on Bitcoin, and flouted the law to seek reelection, Bukele has gained support both locally and regionally for his severe crackdown.
- The far-right candidate in Finland gains more traction.
Election of the President on January 28, 2024
As the Finnish presidential campaign nears its conclusion, Jussi Halla-aho, the far-right speaker of the parliament, is getting closer to qualifying for the run-off. Halla-aho was 11 percentage points away from moving on to the next round in the December Kantar Agri survey; currently, the difference is just 6 percentage points. Even if it’s still doubtful, Halla-aho’s Finns Party has had such last-minute surges in the past. In 2012, the Finnish Supreme Court found Halla-Aho guilty of using hate speech.
- The Ultranationalist Party of Cyprus reaches a new height.
Legislative elections
A de facto spinoff of the Greek neo-Nazi “Golden Dawn” party, the ultranationalist movement achieved a polling record of 17%. In comparison to ELAM’s 2021 election performance of 7%, this indicates a rise of about 10 points. In an effort to bring Greece and Cyprus together, ELAM has posted content on their website that elevates the totalitarian Greek tyrant Ioannis Metaxas. It is remarkable that a party with legitimate fascist tendencies can secure 17% of the vote.
