Have we failed our democracies?

The year 2018 was an eventful one for Southasian democracies, with new governments being voted in across the region. In Pakistan and Bangladesh, polls were marred by allegations of intimidation and rigging. Younger democracies such as the Maldives and Bhutan saw successful democratic transitions. Sri Lanka, too, saw a temporary change of government in the form of a political crisis that was reversed within two months. With Lok Sabha elections in India only months away, and presidential elections likely to be held in Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, 2019 will be an important year for assessing the state of democracy in Southasia.

In light of these events, and the emerging debates on the future of liberal democracy with the rise of populism, Himal Southasian and South Asians for Human Rights organised an open event in Colombo, posing the question: 'Have we failed our democracies?' Held at the International Centre for Ethnic Studies, the discussion was led by Kanak Mani Dixit, Khushi Kabir and Jayadeva Uyangoda, who gave both national and regional perspectives on the life of Southasian democracies. In our latest episode of The Southasian Conversation, hear what they had to say.