Thailand partially eased its ban on political activities, the ruling junta announced Friday, allowing political parties to recruit new members for the first time since 2014 ahead of polls slated for next year.Sweeping restrictions on political parties and campaigns were imposed after the military took power in a coup four years ago.

What’s the safe level of public debt for Indonesia?That’s the debate raging in the country as politicians ratchet up the tension ahead of campaigning for next year’s presidential election.The currency’s selloff to levels not seen since the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis is only intensifying the political wrangling as President Joko Widodo’s (Jokowi) opponents blame his debt-binge for the rout.

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha seems to have dropped another hint that the country’s long-awaited election will be delayed yet again. Despite previously promising that one will be held in February 2019, Prayut recently said that a further delay is possible.“We still confirm that the general election will be held in February 2019.

Democracy is a four-letter word in Cambodia.After 33 years in power, the country’s strongman leader, Hun Sen is set to prolong his rule when his party, the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) announced its victory in a one-horse election.

The cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan will become the next prime minister of Pakistan. The vote count was completed three days after the election on 25 July, and Khan led his party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), to victory. A party – or a coalition of parties – requires the support of at least 137 members of the National Assembly to be called upon to form a government. Khan is close to achieving that goal.

Along a busy highway in western Phnom Penh, Sam Han is among hundreds of garment factory workers scurrying past signs urging them to support Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen’s party.The 44-year-old plans to head to her hometown near the Vietnamese border to vote in Sunday’s election, even though there’s not much of a choice.

On 12 May this year, Timor-Leste held parliamentary elections for the second time in under a year. The elections saw the Alliance for Change and Progress (AMP), a coalition of three opposition parties win an absolute majority of 34 out of 65 seats in parliament. The elections were preceded by a political deadlock which lasted nearly a year. In the parliamentary elections in July last year, leftist party, FRETILIN narrowly emerged as the largest party in parliament.

Cambodia’s ruling party, the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) threatened legal action against a campaign started by opposition members which called for voters to boycott a national election slated to take place in July.

Ever since the military junta gained power in 2014, it has promised on numerous occasions that democracy will return to Thailand and fresh elections will be held. Four years since the installation of a military government known as the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), elections have yet to be held and citizens there are losing patience. Pro-democracy protests calling for the end of military rule and fresh elections have increased in frequency and in crowd size.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said that Malaysia’s king has indicated he’s willing to immediately pardon jailed politician Anwar Ibrahim, his likely successor.Anwar, 70, is the de facto leader of the Pakatan Harapan alliance that won Malaysia’s election earlier this week, ending the Barisan Nasional’s six-decade rule.