Look East for Lessons in Democratic Resistance

Sixty years ago, harsh autocratic rule dominated a region at the eastern edge of a continent. Quixotic quests for political change seemed to have little chance of succeeding-until they did. By the end of the 20th century, competitive elections had become the norm, and former political prisoners were leading governments. Despite recent setbacks, voters in one of these countries just reversed years of authoritarian drift, joining forces to oust a would-be dictator.