Taiwan assumed chairmanship at the Association of Asian Election Authorities (AAEA) general assembly this Wednesday. Six of the 20 AAEA member countries attended in person, and two attended remotely.
The AAEA is a regional international organization formed in 1998. This year’s general assembly marks Taiwan’s third time assuming the chairman role. In physical attendance were representatives from India, the Maldives, Mongolia, the Philippines, Indonesia, and South Korea; in virtual attendance were representatives from Nepal and Bangladesh.
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) spoke to commence the assembly emphasizing that while democracy requires elections, the presence of elections does not necessarily ensure democracy. Cho says that the building blocks for democracy include fair and open elections that appeal to public opinion and elect grassroots representatives to legislatures and central governments.
Cho says that democracy is difficult to fight for and even more difficult to maintain as multiple forces erode its foundation. He adds that he hopes negative forces will be overpowered by the positive ones, implementing democracy worldwide as a common human value.