An election-filled year, But…

There are still six weeks to go before 2024 comes to an end, but already this year has witnessed an unprecedented number of national elections worldwide with most of the 70 scheduled already completed. It has been far from plain sailing for those occupying power at the beginning of the year. Unfortunately for those incumbents, a significant number of them lost power and even when they managed to retain power, did so with reduced majorities. For the first time since 1905, every incumbent party facing the polls lost vote share, even if it managed to hold on to office. As it stands now, there are new leaders in the United Kingdom, Japan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Mauritius, Pakistan, Iran and Senegal. Not all of these were from electoral defeats as was the case in Iran, the President dying in an air plane crash. To these will be added the President-elect of the United States of America, Donald Trump, when he takes the reins after his victory at the polls earlier this month. A most worrying feature of the shifts in world politics, besides the hugely significant Trump/Republican victory, is the shift to the right especially in Europe. Already the European Union itself has to contend with mavericks like Hungarian President Viktor Orban, but national elections this year revealed growing support for the far right in France and Austria. Even while Britain rejected the Conservative Party in the general elections in July, the racist Reform Party gathered the support of over 4 million voters. Right in this hemisphere, the new US administration will be buoyed by the support it will receive from one of the most right-wing governments ever elected in this part of the world, that of Argentina.

Another worrying trend in electoral engagements globally, is the growing trend among losers to challenge election results. The statistics reveal that between mid-2020 and mid-2024, one in five of election results globally was challenged, and a corresponding number of losing Presidential candidates publicly rejected the results. As it stands now electoral results in Mozambiqyue and Georgia have been disputed.

Undoubtedly there may be valid cases, but it now seems that every election loser becomes a “sore loser” refusing to concede defeat, even if there appears to be no solid basis for such actions. The most spectacular example of this was the USA itself, the self-appointed promoter and defender of democracy worldwide. The results of its own Presidential elections of 2020 were not only challenged by Donald Trump, but an instigated mob stormed Congress, threatened elected officials and even killed and wounded protective forces. The court cases against Trump are now effectively dead, the followers convicted are likely to be pardoned, and God alone knows what else is in store.

Our country has not been immune from such threats. The results of the 1998 General Elections received with massive, disruptive street protest by the then opposition Unity Labour Party; and the current Opposition openly challenged the challenged the results of both the 2010 and 2015 elections. Once more it is raising the hopes of its supporters. What will be the result if it fails to triumph in 2025/6? We can only hope for an early resolution if there are any differences on electoral matters and not wait until the heat of the battle when tempers are frayed. It is also hoped that the court will again be used to settle any challenges which may arise.