All of South Asia can for the first time collectively celebrate a major milestone. Successful elections have been held in Bhutan, Pakistan, Nepal, Maldives and most recently in Bangladesh with democratically elected Governments in place.
Will democracy deepen in South Asia or will we look back on this historic moment as just a fleeting aberration. The answer will now depend on how the newly elected governments deliver but also on how they are willing to set the stage for a more open and inclusive democratic process- listen to the opposition, bring in greater transparency and pay as much attention to strengthening the institutions of democracy.
The establishment and strengthening of independent election commissions with UN help has been a key part of this process - and with such help and support from the UN and other partners, South Asia can also deepen democratic processes more broadly.
How to deepen this process is now on the minds of key political leaders in the region and on the minds of the UN agencies - such as the United Nations Development Programme - that have helped in the electoral processes. The establishment or strengthening of independent election commissions and ensuring the transparency of the electoral process in each country have been a key step. Ensuring that elected governments do not adopt a winner-takes-all approach will be very important, but will require the elected leadership to temper demands of their own supporters and listen to the opposition.
A deeper role for civil society and the role of the judiciary will also be central to deepening democracy. Establishing clear rules and transparent systems for the functioning of parliamentary and constitutional bodies will be a key part of the process.
In Bangladesh, after two years of emergency rule and considerable uncertainty, parliamentary elections were held peacefully on 29th December, returning democracy to the country, with a record turnout of 87% of the 80 million registered voters. The election is rightly being hailed as the country's most credible and transparent election and is also considered one of the most non-violent elections in the history of the country.
The successful completion of elections in Bangladesh on 29 December marked a historic moment not just for that country but for all of South Asia. The Awami League led grand alliance won a landslide victory, securing over two-thirds of the 300 seats in the National Assembly. How the new Government fosters working relationships across parties, and enhances intra-party democracy through a more inclusive approach so that all parties, especially those in the minority, feel that they are part of the democratic process will be the measure of success.
Notwithstanding the violence, Nepal's historic Constituent Assembly election on 10 April 2008 turned a new page in the country's political history. The positive outcome of a smooth election gave a big boost to the peace process. A refreshing outcome of the election is that women now comprise more than 30% of the elected members. There is no doubt that much hope rests on the Constituent Assembly to meet the expectations and aspirations of Nepal's diverse communities in shaping a "New Nepal".
In Pakistan, on 18 February 2008 elections were held despite the assassination of Ms Benazir Bhutto and led to a victory by the Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP). Mr Gilani was elected as Prime Minister and Mr Asif Ali Zardari, Ms Bhutto's husband eventually won the Presidency after General Parvez Musharraf resigned following 8 years of military rule.
Similarly, the first ever multi-party presidential election held in Maldives on 28 October culminated decades of effort to embrace democratic elections. After 87% of voters had turned out for the elections, Asia's longest serving leader, President Gayoom, conceded to his challenger Mohamed Nasheed, who had led a coalition and won by 8% margin. Considering that political parties were legalised only in 2005 and the outgoing president had served an uninterrupted 30 years, the statesmanship shown by the outgoing President and the President-elect, was a particularly rare success of the democratic transition.
In the tiny Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, the world's youngest democracy held its first ever multi-party democratic elections on 24 March 2008 to elect a National Assembly. This transition to a democratic constitutional monarchy - initiated by King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the father of the current ruler, in 1998 - portends well for the future as the country moves peacefully to a system of governance that puts people at the centre of decision-making. The Bhutan United Party led by Prime Minister Jigme Thinley won all but three of the seats in the 47 member of the lower House of Parliament with a voter turnout of 79.4% and more female than male voters. The test for this new democracy will be to ensure that the voice of the minority is heard.
2008 has not been a very positive year in many respects - with a global financial crisis and rising violence and terrorism in many parts of the world, casting a long shadow over the impressive economic gains the region has registered in the last decade In this one dimension of democratic governance, the trend in South Asia in 2008 has been remarkably positive. Looking back, it is evident that none of this has been an easy process and certainly could not have been predicted to go as well as it has. Let us celebrate in the beginning of 2009 this important achievement in South Asia amidst all the gloom and doom.
(The writer is UN Assistant Secretary General and Director of the United Nations Development Programme's Regional Bureau for Asia and Pacific.)