Understanding the 2024 Asian Elections and What They Mean for the Future of Democracy
In 2024, the world witnessed a historic surge in elections, with over a billion people already casting their votes. As Time Magazine describes it, this is a “make-or-break year for democracy,” a year where the sheer volume and diversity of elections could significantly influence the global democratic landscape. At the center of this global wave lies Asia, a region where elections in countries like Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, South Korea, and Indonesia have drawn international attention. Together, these nations represent over 25% of the world’s population, making their choices and democratic processes a critical lens through which to view the current state of democracy.
This WAPOR webinar that will take place at December 12, 2024 at 09:00 AM UTC delves into these momentous elections, offering a deep dive into each country’s electoral system, a swift analysis of the results, and an assessment of how pre-election polls held up against actual outcomes. The session will also reveal valuable insights from exit polls and explore what these elections signal about the health of democracy, not just regionally but globally.
Panellists from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia will bring first-hand insights from the field, each offering unique perspectives on their country’s democratic journey in 2024. Moderated by Yashwant Deshmukh of CVoter India, the discussion aims to uncover patterns, surprises, and truths about democracy in Asia. Join us to gain a clearer understanding of Asia’s 2024 elections and the larger story they tell about democracy worldwide.
Panelists
Yashwant Deshmukh is a Communications Professional with working experience of Journalist, Pollster, Evaluation Expert, International Observer, TV News Anchor and Founder of Team Cvoter. Over the last two decades, Mr. Deshmukh has become a celebrated figure in the media and communication industry for his special emphasis on impeccable research, design & production. Mr. Deshmukh’s innovative and original analysis across the spectrum of Transitional, Disaster & Conflict hit societies are widely quoted; especially his defining works in South Africa; Egypt, Pakistan, DR Congo, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. His repertoire of works spans 15 Union Budgets and over 100 Union & Assembly Elections besides a host of international socio-political and economic events across 30 nations & territories. He did his Major in Media from the prestigious IIMC (Indian Institute of Mass Communication) in New Delhi and has been trained professionally in Evaluations & Research (University of Ulster, UK), Polling & International Observations Missions (University of Bergen, Norway) and Elections Administration (Auburn University, USA). Mr. Deshmukh is an accomplished keynote speaker, mentor and coach, training media and communications students the finer points of research in their day-to-day activities. He is a visiting faculty in 6 Universities / Institutions and his workshops are attended by over 500 students every year. He is a life member of WAPOR and also a member of ISQOLS, ESRA and The Election Center.
Agus Nurudin earned his Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Economics from the University of Indonesia in 2003 and Padjadjaran University in 2007, respectively. Agus has over 25 years of experience in various industries, including healthcare, telecommunications, and FMCG. He is currently active as a consultant in multiple sectors. His interest and experience in research are reflected in his role as CEO and Managing Director of PT The Nielsen Company Indonesia. Currently, Agus serves as a member of the Supervisory Board at a hospital in Jakarta. Agus is quite active in organizations following developments and political issues both internally and globally. Agus is a member of KADIN (Chamber of Commerce and Industry) and biggest Moslem Non-Profit Organization Muhammadiyah.
Bilal Gilani has served as the Executive Director for Gallup Pakistan since 2009 and is also a Board Member at the Gallup International Association. He has over 15 years of experience in managing national and international projects including those pertaining to the development sector, socio-political and financial segments in the country and utilizes a broad portfolio of research knowledge for undertaking his responsibilities. He is often quoted in national and international media for local and global research he undertakes. He represents the company in seminars, workshops and TV talk shows, and has been the keynote speaker for numerous conferences. He has played an instrumental role in setting up Pakistan’s first behavioral science lab in the country and has been playing a leading role in pioneering experimental research in the county.
M Saidul Haq is a seasoned management consultant and research professional with over 37 years of experience across the Asia-Pacific region. A certified management consultant (CMC) from Australia and an MBA from Dhaka University, Said also is a Fellow of The Chartered Institute of Marketing of UK and the Institute of Management Consultants Bangladesh. He leads SRGB Research & Consulting, a Bangladesh based consulting house he founded in 1987, providing research & consulting services in South Asia. Said advises senior management on corporate strategy and planning; economic development; market assessment & investment planning; social & development research/consulting, organizational reviews; project planning and implementation, etc. He has served in advisory roles for the UN Environment Program (UNEP), Canadian International Development Organization (CIDA) and several other international organizations. Said’s involvement extends to national and international charitable organizations and held leadership positions in the International Council of Management Consulting Institutes (ICMCI), Mystery Shopping Professionals Association (MSPA) and WAPOR Asia-Pacific. He is also the founder of Solmaid Community School Foundation and the Nurjahan-Salam Foundation, both of which focus on educational and economic support for underserved communities. Through these initiatives, Said has helped establish and manage schools, clinics, and orphanages for underprivileged children and families, illustrating his commitment to both professional and philanthropic endeavors.
Pradeep Peiris is Senior Lecturer of the Department of Political Science and Public Policy, University of Colombo, and Director and Treasurer of the Social Scientists’ Association, Colombo. He obtained his PhD in Political Science from the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka in 2014 under the NUFU/ NOMA fellowship scheme of the University of Oslo, Norway. He is currently a Fellow in the research consortium “Reversing the Gaze: Towards Post-Comparative Area Studies, led by the Universities of Basel, Zurich and Edinburgh, with collaborators from Europa, Asia, Africa and North America. Dr. Peiris has most recently authored the book titled Catch-All Parties and Party-Voter Nexus in Sri Lanka (Palgrave Macmillan) and edited the book titled Is the Cure Worse than the Disease? Reflections on COVID Governance in Sri Lanka (Centre for Policy Alternatives). He has also published on a wide array of subjects ranging from electoral politics to opinion polling, gender, the democratic discourse in Sri Lanka. He is a leading survey researcher in Sri Lanka with over two decades of experience, and is the country representative of the ‘World Association for Public Opinion Research’ (WAPOR) and ‘Democracy Barometer’. His current teaching and research engagements focus on Political Theory, the Philosophy of Science, Quantitative Methods, Democracy and Democratization.
