The current presidential election in the US reminds me of elections in Pakistan. It seems that the incumbent president and his party are mimicking our leaders during the polls. There is talk of rigging, fraud, and unwillingness to accept the results if they lose, which is more a hallmark of our politicians.
With this, I am now losing faith in democracy as it seems to be failing in the first world too. Democracy in a true sense never could take roots in Pakistan. Having been born in 1924, I have witnessed all the elections held in our country since its inception. I can not recall a single example where all stakeholders accepted the results of the polls.
Be it the polls held under civil or military rule, the losing side has always raised allegations of rigging and fraud in elections leading to protests, which at times led to disastrous outcomes. For example, in the 1970 polls held under the military rule, the PPP refused to accept defeat and the president at the time did not hand over the power to the winning party from East Pakistan. This led to the dismemberment of the country with East Pakistan becoming Bangladesh.
Similarly, in 1977, all opposition parties refused to accept the results of the polls held by the PPP alleging massive rigging. The protests by the alliance of opposition parties ultimately culminated in a brutal martial law, a result which no one anticipated. Every single election held in the country was made controversial by the losing side with allegations of rigging. I can not recall a single example where the losing side conceded with grace.
Though our leaders talk a lot about democracy, they never have followed the principles of democracy. For them, democracy prevails only if they win. In case of loss, they refuse to accept, which is against the basic principle of democracy. I wonder what good is the democracy if nobody excepts the verdict of the people and either lodge protests or dispute the results in courts. What good is a system that only the winning side agrees to? Seems now democracy is even failing in first-world countries like the US where the losing side would not accept the outcome.
RAJA SHAFAATULLAH,
Islamabad.