Guest Lecture: Ruling without Governing - Tutelary Regimes in Comparative Politics and the Case of Myanmar

Aung San Suu Kyi`s National League for Democracy (NLD) surprised observers with another landslide victory in the November 2020 elections. As in 2015, the NLD could win an overall majority in most parts of the country. Both elections in 2015 and 2020 were considered relatively fair and election monitoring bodies confirmed that citizens were able to express their will at the polls and choose their elected representatives. The most recent election and the NLD-landslide veil the military´  s tutelage over the political system. The military` s participation in the “leadership of the state” and the role of guardian of the political order has pronounced effects on the political system and helps Myanmar evade substantial democracy. The military` s position straigthjackets the government. It helps the military to veto certain policies and structural reforms and guards its prerogatives and the political system from a position of strength.

You can now watch the whole lecture on Youtube.