It has been a bad week for government by the people.
Israel has been rocked by protests after the government there launched judicial reforms that critics say threaten its status as a democratic country. In Thailand, conservative forces have thwarted the will of the country’s electorate, denying the leading vote-getter in May’s election the chance to form a government. Next door in Cambodia, Prime Minister Hun Sen again prevented the opposition from mounting a challenge in national elections, ensuring the victory of his Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and facilitating the handover of power to his son, Hun Manet.
Individually, each case can be distinguished. But they all exhibit an erosion of democratic principles and practices, a worrisome trend that is gaining speed and traction.