April elections and exits could alter the Indo-Pacific's political makeup from South Korea to Singapore, with further votes across India and Solomon Islands scheduled for later this month.
South Korea’s opposition party secured a landslide win in last week’s legislative elections, threatening to turn incumbent leader Yoon Suk Yeol, who assumed office in 2022, into a ‘lame-duck’ president for the last three years of his term. Now, further moves by Yoon to thaw relations with Japan — a popular policy in Washington — may unravel if the Democratic Party-led opposition turns on him.
Meanwhile, Solomon Islands, an archipelagic nation of 750,000, held parliamentary elections of its own on Wednesday. Incumbent prime minister Manasseh Sogavare, who swung diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 2019, is looking to hold onto power. Election results are expected by next month.
Singapore PM resigns, taps deputy as successor
Other leaders find themselves willingly making for the exit: 72-year-old Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced his resignation on Monday after nearly two decades in power, citing age as a factor. Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will assume the role on May 15, ensuring continuity until the next general election, which is set for no later than November 2025.
Under Lee, Singapore “steadfastly supported” Canada’s bid to become an ASEAN Strategic Partner and, in 2022, Singapore was the largest Southeast Asian destination for Canadian direct investment abroad, valued at C$27.9 billion.
Pockets of predictability
All is not in flux across the Indo-Pacific: Taiwan’s incoming president, Lai Ching-te, is reportedly “preparing to stock his national-security team with holdovers from the current administration,” perhaps signalling to Washington and Beijing his intent to stick to the status quo.
And India’s general election, beginning tomorrow and running until June 1, is expected to produce a third consecutive term for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
