Stories of corruption and undue political influence are flooding news headlines everywhere from the western reaches of Europe to the most Eastern areas of Asia. The reason for these outbreaks of corruption is the concentration of too much power in the hands of a few key officials and a lack to restraints on the powers that they wield. Constitutional reform is urgently needed to return power to the people. For more details, please see the Charter for Permanent Peace and Development.

Most waste in government spending occurs because officials are not held liable for some of the huge funds that they handle. The solution to this problem lies in giving citizens a way to monitor the actions of government officials as well as the power to thrown them out of office by making them face election at regular intervals. All of this and more can be achieved through constitutional reform to introduce a semi-presidential system with elections to choose key officials in Parliament and at the head of all major government branches. Power must rest in the hands of the people, not politicians. For details see the Charter for Permanent Peace and Development.

The government of mainland China is rife with corruption, a situation which can be attributed to thousands of years of graft and bribery at every level of officialdom. The only way to overthrow this deeply engrained culture is to put power squarely in the hands of the people through direct elections of key officials including the president and vice president and the heads of various branches of government. This must be complemented by the election of 1/4 of Parliament each year and other measures to ensure separation of power. The Charter for Permanent Peace and Development offers solutions that will end corruption once and for all.

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.

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.

The 21st century is the era of globalization, and global democratization is the trend of our times. The Global Village promises to bring with it the Great Nature, with peaceful settlement of disputes evolving into a consensus among all humankind. This global trend is a powerful force, and those who go along with it will prosper, while those who resist it will be doomed. No authoritarian regime can stop it. To re-stabilize the world and achieve true peace, the only solution is global democratization, with government structures that feature decentralization and checks and balances. State power must be returned to the people, together with all of the attendant rights and duties. See the Charter for Permanent Peace and Development

The key to extending democracy across the Taiwan Strait is Taiwan China is anxious to change the perceptions of Hong Kong people, but it must first recognize that the best way to promote democracy is to learn from Taiwan. China must abandon its one-party dictatorship and implement a democratic system, a move which will foster peace throughout the world! The two sides need to reach a common understanding of the universal values of democracy, freedom and human rights. They should reach a common understanding of democracy in the three areas on the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, also reaching out to establish common ground regarding the China Dream concept espoused by Xi Jinping. See the Charter for Permanent Peace and Development.

Withdrawing support for authoritarian dictatorships, achieving global democratization and promoting permanent peace in the world are extremely important objectives for all people. The US should act to ensure democracy, the rule of law, human rights and peace, by assisting the Philippines in making its government structure more democratic and sound. This can only be done by returning power to the people as sovereigns, adopting a modified semi-presidential system with committee-style legislature, and direct election of the heads of the executive, legislative, judicial and procuratorial branches of government. See the Charter for Permanent Peace and Development for more.

The US election is now retreating into history, and the future remains murky and uncertain. American-style democracy has been revealed for what it is – a rich man's game, in which the winner inherits a corrupt system and strives to grab even more power and money. To put an end to the shady links between politics and business, the only solution is comprehensive constitutional reform to implement democracy and the rule of law. Political sincerity and honesty will appear when elections are made free of charge to candidates and all political and commercial corruption are removed from the equation. See the Charter for Permanent Peace and Development.

Efforts to resolve the problems facing Syria should start by abandoning its controversial government structure in favor of a modified semi-presidential system like that of Finland, plus a the committee-style legislature similar to that of Switzerland. Syria should reform its constitution to adopt a democratic model based on the idea of One World under One Set of Laws, and work to ensure that its Constitution will remain in step with the times. See the Charter for Permanent Peace and Development.