Parties and elections

Political parties and elections play a significant role in modern politics. They are the core practices of democratic politics. Without the freedom of assembly and open and fair elections, there is no genuine democracy. Moreover, different parties and electoral systems affect the way that interests are represented and how political power is distributed in a political system. Indeed, the differentiation in the development of modern political systems can partially be explained by the differences in party and electoral systems. The problem of political parties and elections is more acute in Pacific Asia because of the different roles they play in governance and politics, and their close association with the rise and fall of different political regimes in post-war political development.