INTERNATIONAL ELECTIONS May 2024

‍Dominican Republic :-

‍Dominican Republic Presidential Elections were held on 19th May 2024 and the Incumbent 54^th President Luis Abinader was re-elected by the 54% Voter Turnout. President and Vice President, 32 Senators, 190 Deputies, 20 PARLACEN Deputies were elected to office for a new term by the Voters. Luis Abinader of PRM Modern Revolutionary Party, won the elections for Presidency in the first round itself with more than clear cut 50% votes which was 57.55% of votes thus avoiding the second round runoff elections. PARLACEN is Central America Parliament operating as the Political Leadership Parliamentary Body for the Integration of Central American Integration System or SICA which is the economic and Political organisation of Central American States.

Panama :-

‍Elections were held in Panama on 5^th May 2024 to elect the New President the 39^th President of Panama which was won with 34.23% votes by Jose Raul Mulino of Realising goals Party and Sworn in as President on 1^st July 2024. The Prior to elections ruling party the Democratic Revolutionary party which is the largest party in Panama suffered electoral loss with its Presidential Candidate the then Incumbent Vice President Jose Gabriel Carrizo lost the elections with 5.88% of Votes. Panama is following the First Past the Post Principle in Elections and hence the largest votes won candidate is elected as President of Panama which now is Jose Raul Mulino with his 34.23% largest vote shared based victory and the Second Placed candidate was Ricardo Lombana with 24.59% Votes. The before elections incumbent President Laurentino Cortizo was Ineligible for a second consecutive term Due to Constitutional Term Limits. According to Panamanian Constitution the President of Panama is elected for a five year term and may not be immediately re-elected. However a former President can run for office again after sitting out for two consecutive presidential terms.

Lithuania :-

‍The First round of elections were held on 12 May 2024 with Eight Candidates in the Fray as Per Lithuanian Central Election Commission. As no Candidate received absolute majority in the first round as second round of elections were conducted on 26^th May 2024 between the top two candidates the Incumbent President Nauseda and the Incumbent Prime Minister Simonyte which was a rematch of 2019 President elections for Lithuania where Nauseda had defeated Simonyte. Nauseda won the re-election with a landslide of more than 75% votes, the largest margin of any presidential candidate in the Lithuania Presidential Elections history. The Lithuanian President has a Significant Role in Domestic Policy possessing the right to submit bills to the seimas and to veto laws passed by it, appointing the Prime Minister and Approving the Govt Formed by them and also having the right to dissolve seimas and call snap elections following a successful no confidence motion or refusing the approve the govt budget within sixty days but the next elected seimas may retaliate by calling for an earlier presidential elections. The president is required as per Lithuania constitution to nominate the Candidate of the Parliamentary Majority to the office of the Prime Minister who has to go and prove his or her majority as Prime Minister in the Floor vote of the Seimas. The President also holds informal power due the population generally more trusting the Presidential office and the Presidents of Lithuania historically have blocked legislations and forced the resignation of Prime Ministers (like in 1998 for Prime Minister Vagnorious)

South Africa :-

National Results for South Africa's 2024 General Election

Composition of National Seats in the National Assembly, Divided by Political Party and Vote Share

ANC For the First time needs an Alliance of Parties for the 201 Seats of National Assembly Majority Marking a Significant New Pathway in South African Political Landscape.

The South African Parliamentary Elections of June 2024 have been widely regarded as a historic turning point for the country. The most notable outcome was the end of the African National Congress (ANC)'s 30-year dominance, as it failed to secure a majority in the National Assembly for the first time since the end of apartheid. The ANC won only 159 out of 400 seats, with just under 40% of the vote. This result has forced the ANC to seek coalition partners to form a government, marking the beginning of a new era of coalition politics in South Africa.

The elections were highly contested, with several new and smaller parties gaining ground. The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, a new entrant, performed strongly in its debut election, winning 58 seats. The Democratic Alliance (DA) remained the second-largest party with 87 seats, while the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) secured 39 seats.

Summary: - Public reaction to the election results has been mixed, with some praising the transparency and fairness of the process, while others, particularly from the MK Party, have expressed dissatisfaction and threatened to boycott parliamentary proceedings. The possibility of a coalition government or even a government of national unity has been a significant topic of discussion, as no party has a clear mandate to govern alone. Overall, the 2024 elections are seen as a pivotal moment that could reshape South Africa's political landscape for years to come.