A dictatorship can be explained as a type of governmental rule in which one leader or party or a restricted group of people have absolute power with no effective constitutional limitations. More often than not, such regimes are ruled by leaders who are generally recognized as dictators but who are formally assigned various other titles such as president, king, or the leader (father) of the nation, etc. One way to categorize countries under a dictatorship is by the type of regime in operation such as military and single-party dictatorships.
Military Dictatorship
Within a military dictatorship, military forces hold either complete or substantial control over a country’s political institutions and are usually governed by highly-ranking military leaders. The majority of military dictatorships come into existence following a coup d’état which involves the sudden and often violent overthrowing of the existing government. Here is a list of countries under military dictatorship in 2021:
Sudan – Following the Sudanese coup d’état on the 11th of April 2019, the president in office was overthrown and the Sudanese army took control of the government and national legislature. The transition of power resulted in violent protests, a failing economy, and continuing political tension.
Mali – The Malian coup d’état which took place on 18 August 2020 was the first to occur during the coronavirus era and involved Malian armed forces arresting a number of highly ranked officials. The overthrowing was followed by a wave of socio-economic turbulence including violence, terrorism, economic downfall, and the country’s exclusion from the Economic Community of West African States governing bodies.
Myanmar – The Myanmar coup d’état began on 1 February 2021 when the Tatmadaw military forces deposed the democratically elected government from their legitimately held position of political power and instituted a one-year state of emergency. Shortly afterwards, a wave of civil resistance emerged that took the form of protests, civil disobedience, and labor strikes.
Chad – On 11 April 2021 the Chadian rebel group, Front for Change and Concord in Chad, started an offensive against President Idriss Déby who was ultimately killed on 20th April. Shortly afterwards, the Chadian army claimed that the rebellious offensive was under control and proclaimed itself to be in political charge for the next 18 months.
Single-Party Dictatorship
Single-party dictatorships can be defined as regimes in which one political party establishes and runs governmental institutions. In this type of dictatorship, the state controls society while the political party controls the state. Under such regimes, political opposition is often outlawed or oppressed. Here is a list of countries operating under a single-party dictatorship in 2021:
China – The Communist Party of China has been in political control for the last 71 years. Its rule is marked by rigid acts of civil oppression and multiple counts of infringements of human rights. China is an example of how economic growth can effectively reinforce a ruling dictatorship.
Laos – The Lao People’s Revolutionary Party has been in political control for the last 45 years. Laos is considered to be the ‘Asian No. 2 police state after North Korea’ being known for multiple infringements of human rights and the mysterious ‘disappearance’ of those who do or say something that is not tolerated by the authorities.
Cuba – The Communist Party of Cuba has been in political control for the last 62 years, a period marked by repressive policies. The retirement of Raul Castro from the position of the head of the Communist Party in April 2021 marked the end of an era for the Castro family.
North Korea – The Workers’ Party of Korea is the longest standing party in control over a certain country, governing for the last 75 years. Its methods of rule are considered to be some of the most repressive in the world, marked by torture, forced labor, camps, and infringements of human rights.
Vietnam – The Communist Party of Vietnam has governed Vietnam for the last 46 years, a rule marked by continuous violations of basic civil and political rights. Moreover, the mechanisms of oppression have even transitioned into a digital dictatorship by which the state seeks to silence dissidents and limit the freedom of speech.
The status of a country ruled by dictatorship can greatly diminish the intensity and depth of its international relations including access to external aid. Dictatorial regimes are frequently guided by short-term, self-centric interests that are related to political survival, thus leading to a lack of credibility from external organizations. Moreover, when a dictator comes to rely on external aid then there is a significant possibility of the deliberate blocking or stagnation of economic development so as to maintain a steady flow of external aid.
On www.developmentaid.org, the leading provider of business intelligence for actors active in the development sector, the ‘Country Eligibility’ tool is an easy way to check whether a country operating under a dictatorship is eligible to access projects financed by international donors.
