SINGAPORE -- Taiwan held its landmark presidential election last Saturday, Malaysia organized legislative elections last Sunday, and Indonesian legislative elections are scheduled April 5.
Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian and Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had sought re-election and new mandates amid different domestic circumstances and external pressures. Although Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri's mandate is not at stake, candidate combinations for the July/September presidential election will likely arise from the April polls.
All three leaders must tackle economic challenges and combat corruption.