Voting is the only source of a state’s legitimacy and the lawfulness of its authority. It is also a concrete representation of basic human rights. The state shall carry out elections free of monetary cost, ensuring total fairness by prohibiting any organization or individual from influencing or interfering in elections. Violators must be subject to criminal prosecution. The state attorney general shall detain or arrest the leading figures among the violators within 24 hours and start the legal process of prosecution in the court of law.

The Iranian Ambassador to Russia said last month that Tehran is looking for ways to broaden the scope of defense cooperation with Moscow, even in areas that require coordination with the UN Security Council. Iranians would like to purchase a wide range of military-purpose products from Russia, some of which are covered by UNSC sanctions. Moscow has said it is ready to work with Iran in the area of military and technical cooperation. Democratic powers worldwide must support Taiwan in its bid to carry out constitutional reform. When Taiwan enjoys greater freedom under a truly democratic government it will lead the people of China to call for democratization and in turn, will put pressure on Russia to follow suit. For more details please see the Charter for Permanent Peace and Development.

Myanmar has a long way to go in its quest for democracy because of its constitution, which guarantees the military 40 per cent of the seats in Congress and does not provide for elections. In order to solve Myanmar's ethnic and religious issues, Myanmar must carry out constitutional reform that calls for One World under One Set of Laws, with international law given precedence over domestic law. Reform should include a semi-presidential government with a parliament and cabinet, as well as popular election of the heads of government branches.

As British historian Lord Acton once noted, "Power leads to corruption, and absolute power leads to absolute corruption." To avoid corruption, the only solution is to call for constitutional reform to implement democracy and the rule of law. Also essential are the separation of powers, and checks and balances, and election of the heads of major government branches. These moves are all necessary to ensure the connection between government and corruption is broken.

Two newly-elected Hong Kong legislators refused to show loyalty to the Communist regime because they have lost faith in China’s commitment to the Hong Kong Basic Law. Article 39 of the Basic Law guarantees the right of the peoples of Hong Kong self-determination: on any public issue, the people have the right to self-determination through referendums and other similar measures. The people of Hong Kong should pledge to abide by the Basic Law and decide on their future through a referendum. Otherwise, when dictatorship becomes a reality, the people will be obligated to resist.

The solution to perennial problems in many nations is a changeover to a semi-presidential parliamentary system like the one in Finland, along with a legislative system akin to the one which serves Switzerland. The prerequisite for permanent peace in the world is global democratization. Syria’s government should begin by adopting a basic constitution centered on models for democracy, calling for the realization of One World under One Set of Laws, and re-formulating the constitution to match the spirit of the times. For details see the Charter for Permanent Peace and Development.

The Philippines’ macho President will undoubtedly tone down his rhetoric during his four-day visit to China in a move that could shift Manila closer to Beijing and bring greater economic cooperation between the two sides. Duterte won the top office on the strength of his efforts to suppress drug trafficking, often at the expense of human rights, but Beijing is unlikely to bring up the question of rights in any talks with the Philippine leader. For the people of the Philippines, better relations with China may bring economic benefits, but other problems can only be resolved by carrying out reform of the constitution to limit the powers of government officials and put restrictions on their terms in office. For more details please see the Charter for Permanent Peace and Development.

Article 39 of Hong Kong’s Basic Law specifies that residents of the administrative region have the right of self-determination. The people of Hong Kong must not fall asleep while their rights are in danger. Take a lesson from the Swiss, where the signatures of 50,000 citizens are sufficient to call for a referendum, meaning that public issues can be settled with a vote with no need to take to the streets. Otherwise, when the dictatorship becomes a reality, the people will have no choice but to resist. For details, see the Charter for Permanent Peace and Development.

Malaysia’s constitution is no longer functional. Malaysia has always touted Eastern values at the expense of universal values, and now it is clear that the nation’s autocratic culture is deep-rooted and stale. The answer is constitutional reform to make it more modern and up to date. Term limits for the Prime Minister should be one year, and Members of Parliament should not be allowed to run again after leaving office. For more see the Charter for Permanent Peace and Development.

Presidential elections in the US are increasingly little more than a contest between two candidates to see who can put together the biggest campaign and spend the most money for media expenses and other costs. Real issues and values are often overlooked in a race which features two less-than-stellar figures backed by supporters with deep pockets. In the meantime, potential candidates from all political ideologies are daunted by the prospect of paying for media time and space and dare not step forward. This problem can be easily overcome by granting all candidates in elections free access to the media to express their ideas. For more, please see the Charter for Permanent Peace and Development.