ASEAN Beat

Myanmar Floods a Test for Political Leaders

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ASEAN Beat

Myanmar Floods a Test for Political Leaders

Responses to the natural disaster will set the tone for the November elections.

Myanmar Floods a Test for Political Leaders
Credit: Myanmar flooding via Anirut Thailand / Shutterstock.com

Widespread flooding in Myanmar presents a major test for political leaders ahead of much-anticipated elections. Torrential monsoon rains have claimed more than 100 lives and affected approximately one million of the country’s estimated 53 million residents. In many rural communities, the financial and psychological effects of devastation will persist well after waters recede. Responses to the natural disaster will help set the tone for historic polls set for November 8.

Stakes are high for the country’s two leading political organizations – the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) and opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) – as they compete head-to-head for seats nationwide for the first time. Effectively the civilian political arm of Myanmar’s armed forces, the USDP faces disapproval over an incomplete democratic transition, persistent inequality, allegations of corruption, and simmering tensions between the central government and ethnic minority groups. The NLD must overcome a lack of governing experience and fractious infighting in order garner the wide popular support it claims.

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