Transition to Democracy or Hybrid Regime? The Dynamics and Outcomes of Democratization in Myanmar

Kristian Stokke () and Soe Myint Aung ()
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Kristian Stokke: University of Oslo
Soe Myint Aung: University of Oslo

The European Journal of Development Research, 2020, vol. 32, issue 2, No 2, 274-293

Abstract: Abstract This article analyzes Myanmar’s transition from authoritarianism and asks if it represents a transition towards democracy or a hybrid form of rule. Starting from theoretical debates about modes of transition, the article examines competing discourses on Myanmar’s opening and argues that it resembles an imposed more than a negotiated transition. Next, the article analyzes the links between this mode of transition and its outcomes, and finds that contemporary Myanmar is characterized by a combination of formal institutions for democratic representation, civilian government, and power-sharing, and problems of weak popular representation, limited civilian control of the military, and continued centralization of state authority. The article concludes that Myanmar’s political trajectory remains open-ended, but also that Myanmar, at least for the time being, seems more accurately described as a relatively stable hybrid regime than as a country that is in transition to democracy.

Keywords: Mode of transition; Authoritarianism; Democracy; Democratization; Hybrid regime; Civil–military relations; Representation; Myanmar (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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DOI: 10.1057/s41287-019-00247-x

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