Introducing the 62nd edition of The PEP Weekly Digest, where we present to you the most recent updates and news on the global political stage.

Recent and upcoming elections influence the worldwide political landscape in eight nations, slated between Jul 04, 2024 and Sep 07, 2024. These elections hold significant importance, as they will determine the direction and governance of each respective country’s future.

One noteworthy event has occurred in Bangladesh, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned on August 5, 2024, and fled the country after weeks of student protests, Human Rights Watch said today. An estimated 300 people have been killed, thousands injured, and more than 10,000 arrested. The army chief general, Waker-Uz-Zaman, said, “I promise you all, we will bring justice” while announcing the prime minister’s resignation and confirming that an interim government would be formed. The authorities should prioritize implementing a transparent and independent justice mechanism and immediately release all political prisoners, including those being held in incommunicado detention. The interim government should accept the United Nations’ support to open an independent inquiry into grave abuses both during the recent student protests and earlier, during the years of Sheikh Hasina’s government.

Shifting our focus to Mauritania, President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani of Mauritania has appointed Moctar Ould Diay as the country’s new Prime Minister, following his inauguration for a second term after winning the June presidential election. The appointment was announced in a presidential decree on Friday evening, just a day after President Ghazouani’s swearing-in ceremony. Ould Diay, an engineer by training, graduated from the National Institute of Statistics and Applied Economics (INSEA) in Rabat, Morocco. Prior to his appointment, he served as the President’s Chief of Staff and has held several key positions in the Mauritanian government, including Minister of Finance under the administration of former President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz. Ould Diay also served as the Director General of Taxes in 2010 and the Managing Director of the National Industrial and Mining Company (SNIM) in 2019.

In South Africa, Mandisa Maya’s Appointment as Chief Justice is a Victory for All, Especially for Black Women in Law. Several sentiments have been shared over the past weeks on Justice Mandisa Maya’s appointment as South Africa’s first woman Chief Justice. There have been some suggestions that we should not be too feminist or political about her appointment, and that she was selected on merit and her credentials. While this is true, we should not downplay the significance of her being the first woman to be appointed to the highest seat in our judiciary. Doing so would be a disservice to her and our historical battle against patriarchy and racism, especially within the legal profession.

In the realm of regulatory affairs, the global anti-money laundering watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has asked India to improve due diligence on the bank accounts of politicians, government officials and their families s due to their potential susceptibility to bribery and corruption. A FATF report shared with the government recommended more rigorous monitoring of the source of funds in the accounts of domestic PEPs as well as requiring senior bank managers to approve any new accounts for politicians, government officials and their families. The FATF rated India as “compliant” and “largely compliant” on 37 out of the 40 parameters for enforcing anti-money laundering laws. The report raised three major concerns on partial compliance including bank scrutiny of domestic political figures and oversight of the finances of non-profit organisations and non-financial businesses and professionals.

Shifting our attention to legal advancements, Former Taipei City Councilor Chen Cheng-chung reported to prison on Tuesday to start a six-year sentence for stock manipulation and misrepresentation in a company prospectus. Chen, 69, who served as a city councilor for nearly 40 years until he was forced to give up his post in July, arrived at the Taiwan Taipei District Prosecutors Office at around noon, 90 minutes later than the scheduled time of 10:30 a.m. Wearing a white cap, white polo shirt and face mask, he did not make any public comments before hugging family members who accompanied him and turning himself over to prosecutors to be jailed, according to local media.