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Dear Reader,
In the December Newsletter, we share with you four original Voices from the Field and a number of updates on constitutional reform processes in different parts of the world.
The recent Maldives elections have relaunched the country’s democratic dispensation, though the political instability, arising from power sharing coalitions, may not be gone just yet. Whether the strengthening of the decentralization system and a possible shift to a parliamentary system would tame the specter of instability is unclear. The political confrontation between the president and prime minister of Tunisia has raised questions regarding the potential instability of the semi-presidential system of government, though the main problems lie in political ambition and the fragmentation of political parties. Electoral reforms, including electoral thresholds to enter parliament, would enhance government effectiveness.
The 2018 End of Year Editorial documents the extensive debates on constitutional reform, including an indication of the challenges of resort to constitutional referendums and attempts to tackle the centralization of power and reforming the electoral and government systems. Indications are that 2019 will also witness high levels of reform activities, including in contexts of conflict to peace transitions in Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia and South Sudan.
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