Beyond the headlines of Myanmar’s political transition, peace process and communal violence, the state of local democracy has received little scholarly or popular interest.

Yet, political changes at this level are crucial for the wider democratisation process as it is the tier of government most important in the everyday life of Myanmar people.

A new paper, published by the Danish Institute for International Affairs, discusses the most recent 2016 local elections of village tract and urban ward administrators and reflects on the future of local democracy and decentralisation in Myanmar.

Based on a roundtable discussion at the University of Yangon in April 2016 attended by over 30 local and international researchers and policy specialists, it explores how local administrators are elected, how they govern in the everyday and the broader trajectory of democratic state-citizen relations at a local level in Myanmar.

Read and download the paper at the Danish Institute for International Affairs.