Politically Exposed Person (PEP) Weekly Digest – Volume 164

164th PEP Weekly Digest:

Introducing the 164th edition of The PEP Weekly Digest, where we present to you the most recent updates and news on the global political stage.

Recent and upcoming elections influence the worldwide political landscape in eight nations, slated between Jul 02, 2026, and Oct 03, 2026. These elections hold significant importance, as they will determine the direction and governance of each respective country’s future.

India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Resigns Amid NEET Paper Leak Protests

One noteworthy event has occurred in India: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan tendered his resignation from the Council of Ministers amid the ongoing protests over the NEET paper leak.

In a letter addressed to his “young friends,” Pradhan said that he has sent his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, considering the situation that has developed at Jantar Mantar and across the country.

“I have been dedicated to students, teachers, and education reform for more than four decades. I have always believed that a strong, inclusive, and visionary education system is the very foundation of a strong nation. I deeply respect the aspirations, emotions, and just expectations of the country’s youth. Realizing the dreams of India’s young generation has been a moral commitment of all of us in political and social life.

I express my gratitude to the Hon’ble Prime Minister for the opportunity he gave me to serve the nation under his visionary leadership,” Pradhan said.

Moldova’s Parliament Elects Vasile Tofan as Prime Minister to Advance EU Membership Bid

Shifting our focus to Moldova, Moldova’s pro-Western parliament elected businessman and investor Vasile Tofan as prime minister, entrusting a political newcomer with advancing the former Soviet republic’s bid to join the European Union.

Tofan, 44, who is backed by President Maia Sandu and her Party of Action and Solidarity, was elected by 53 to 21, with 21 abstentions in Moldova’s 101-seat Parliament.

Addressing lawmakers just before the vote, Tofan said he understood his “responsibility to fight for the interests of all Moldovans,” and that he and the new government will act “with integrity and the will to push Moldova forward.”

A senior partner at the Ukraine-based investment firm Horizon Capital until recently, Tofan gained a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard Business School, and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in public administration from Erasmus University, in the Netherlands.

Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin Resigns, Citing Health Issues

In Bangladesh, President Mohammed Shahabuddin, a former ally of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has ​resigned citing serious health issues, his office said.

Shahabuddin, 76, has held the largely ceremonial post of president since April 2023, a period that included volatile months after Hasina’s ​flight to India following a student-led uprising against ​her rule in 2024.

“Recent medical examinations have diagnosed ⁠me with a condition known as Autonomic Neuropathy. Due ​to this condition, I occasionally experience momentary loss of consciousness,” ​Shahabuddin said in a statement released by his press secretary.

The resignation of Shahabuddin would leave Hasina with no allies in high ​office five months before her planned return. Her Awami League ​party is banned, and many of its leaders and activists have ‌been ⁠jailed or gone into hiding since a deadly student-led uprising toppled her government in 2024.

Sri Lanka FIU Fines 11 Firms Rs. 14.6 Million for AML Reporting Violations

In the realm of regulatory affairs, the Sri Lanka Central Bank’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) imposed administrative penalties worth Rs. 14.6 million from 11 firms including Indian Overseas Bank for non-compliance with the provisions of the Financial Transactions Reporting Act (FTRA), the Central Bank said in a statement.

The penalties were imposed on various financial institutions and designated non-financial businesses and professions (DNFBPs) between October 2025 and March 2026 for serious breaches of the FTRA.

The penalties, while a sign of regulatory enforcement, underscore a troubling reality of segments of the country’s financial and business ecosystem continue to fall short on critical Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) obligations, despite years of reform, analysts say.

The FIU’s enforcement actions targeted both established financial players and smaller entities, highlighting that compliance failures cut across institution size and type.

Former South Korean Justice Minister Park Sung-jae Sentenced to 25 Years for Role in 2024 Martial Law

Shifting our attention South Korea, A South Korean court sentenced a former justice minister to 25 years in prison for his role in ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol‘s brief and disastrous declaration of martial law in 2024.

Park Sung-jae was found guilty of involvement in “insurrection” by the Seoul Central District Court, according to a recording of the verdict shared online.

Yoon’s late-night martial law declaration in December 2024 lasted only about six hours as lawmakers raced to the assembly building and voted it down in an emergency session.

He has since been convicted of leading an insurrection and is in detention while appealing against a life sentence.

Yoon was also given a 30-year jail term this month for sending drones to North Korea to “manufacture a national crisis” to justify his martial law declaration.

Park held a meeting of justice ministry officials in the early hours after the martial law declaration and checked on prison capacity should the authorities arrest anti-government figures, prosecutors said.

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