Over the weekend, pro-democracy activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi was elected to Myanmar’s parliament in a landmark vote. It’s a historic moment for the country; after years of house arrest, Suu Kyi appears poised to finally step into a role of real power. While democracy seems to be advancing in clear leaps and bounds in Myanmar – and with relatively little violence. The democratic transitions of North Africa and the Middle East have proved to be much more fraught. What’s the best way to build a real democracy? Do events in Myanmar offer a model for democratic transitions elsewhere? Suzanne DiMaggio is Vice President for global policy programs at the Asia Society. Robert Lieber is professor of government and international affairs at Georgetown University. His latest book is “Power and Willpower in The American Future: Why the U.S. is Not Destined to Decline.”
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