IN the run-off for Chilean presidential elections held on December 17, right-wing, businessman Sebastian Pinera (representing the coalition ‘Let's Go Chile’) won securing 54 per cent of the votes. He has defeated centre-left ruling coalition (New Majority) candidate Alejandro Guillier. The run-off was called as the election could not be decided in the first round with no candidate able to secure the mandatory 50 per cent of the polled votes.

IN the recent past, a slew of elections were held in various countries. A study of these election results will help us in understanding the political developments.Recently, parliament elections were held in Nepal – the first after the republican constitution was adopted. The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) and Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists-Centre) contested the election in alliance. Out of the 165 parliament seats, for which representatives were elected according to the first-past-post system, they had secured 116 seats. The Nepali Congress secured only 23 seats.

THE six-year devastating Syrian war is reaching a conclusive stage. The eighth-round of UN-mediated talks between the government of Syria and the opposition that began in Geneva on November 28, signify a decisive phase in the nearly six years of Syrian War. These talks are to continue till December 15 and widely expected to bring the curtains down on the war that had led to the killing of over 3,30,000 citizens and the displacement of millions of people.

THE report presented by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) traces the role played by the Party in the country’s transition from a feudal autocracy to people’s democracy. The Party united the people and led the struggle against feudalism, imperialism and capitalism and founded the People’s Republic of China in 1949. It established socialism as the basic system of Chinese society and is advancing on the path of socialist construction with Chinese characteristics.

THE 19th Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) was held in Beijing from October 18-24, 2017. The theme of the Congress was: ‘Remain true to our original aspiration and keep our mission firmly in mind, hold high the banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, secure a decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, strive for the great success of socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era, and work tirelessly to realise the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation’.