Paraguay at the Crossroads

When, eighteen years ago, the dictatorship of General Stroessner came to an end in Paraguay, the country opened up for democracy. However, the path is stony, and there still is reason for concern. At this point, it is worth while to take a look into the past.

South Africa's Political Opposition Parties – Taking Stock 13 Years after the First Free Elections

When, early in 1990, the newly-elected South African president, Frederik Willem de Klerk, announced the readmission of the country's political parties that were prohibited during the apartheid regime, a dynamic got under way in South Africa which brought about a comprehensive system change.

Ten Years of Constitutional Jurisprudence in South Africa

Constituting the end point of a path of reforms in constitutional law which began in 1990, South Africa's current constitutional dispensation has been in existence for thirteen years now. At this point, it is worthwhile to take a closer look not only at the changes effected by constitutional jurisdiction but also at the way South Africans experienced it.

The Development of Political Parties in Young Democracies – South Africa

For more than thirteen years now, South Africa has had a democratic system which is based on one of the most liberal constitutions in the world. It guarantees the political liberties, and it has by now given the country three elections – in 1994, 1999, and 2004 – which may be regarded as free and fair. South African democracy is on its way towards consolidation.

Editorial

Establishing a Two-party System in Russia

It is not least thanks to the intense activity of the Russian president, Mr Putin, that the country's political-party system recently acquired a new format.

Good Governance – the Paradigm of Contemporary Development Policy.

Bad Governance und schwierige Partnerschaften: Herausforderungen des 21. Jahrhunderts

For a long time, development politicians have been pointing out that good governance is a prerequisite of successful development, and that problems with the latter will necessarily arise from bad governance.

The Background and Consequences of the Military Putsch in Thailand

On September 19, 2006, the military in Thailand staged a putsch, ousting the government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The Fourth Republic Has Hardly Borne Fruit so Far.

Poland's Record of 2006: Politics and the Economy. Facts, Figures, Analysis

As claimed by the country's prime minister, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, 2006 was the best year for Poland in 17 years.

World Power Despite Poverty. India Exists Only in the Plural

Bücher über Indien

Infinite poverty and unworldly esotericism on the one hand, dropout mysticism and self-discovery romanticism on the other – these were the images that symbolised India in the early nineties.