US elections

The defeat of President Donald Trump will enter history books in the next two months and will serve as a lesson on why countries around the world should protect their democratic institutions to defend their rights. The two have been proven as inalienable democratic traits once again. If the last week proved anything it was that no country will be able to grab back what it values unless it manages to hang onto the institutions that protect the core of the democratic process – free and fair elections.   

It is true that elections have often been touted as a fundamental component of a democracy. During the past few years the former Government was repeatedly blamed for delaying elections over fears it would lose. But what gets less attention in Sri Lanka is the need to have a level playing field with stronger measures, regulations and an Elections Commission with the teeth to enforce them.

Sri Lanka has already taken steps in the opposite direction by passing the 20th Amendment and with it denigrating to the wrong side of history efforts to stop the decades of violence and bloodshed wrought by a weak election process. With social media and fake news providing additional challenges the fight to have free and fair elections will become harder in the future. The US showed how deeply divided a country can become when it is targeted along ethnic, racial and religious lines and these fissures will not automatically fade simply because presidents change. The damage done by politicians will last and it will resonate, as Sri Lanka’s own past has proven. 

But this election result is a moment of hope, not just for the US but for the rest of the world, because it shows that change is possible and that the democratic process, messy as it is, should be valued. Politics and politicians around the world have taken a beating in recent years and non-traditional political leaders have become popular, with the best known being Donald Trump. 

But the world also witnessed, over four torturous years, the damage a powerful person who does not respect democracy or the rule of law can do. Rebuilding is doubly hard because it will require reconstructing a common ground that has all but disappeared. Moreover, the very institutions that empower democracy can also do the opposite, which may be seen if the Senate remains with the Republican Party paving the way for much of Biden’s policies to be blocked.  

The US election also re-burnished old political truths. At the start of this year Trump was set to sail into a second term but two crucial things changed his course. Number one was the deep impact of COVID-19, and secondly the widespread anti-police brutality protests, which both reduced his chances to appeal to a broader audience. Overall Trump still had more people vote for him in 2020 than they did four years ago, which is dumbfounding to people outside of the US, but shows how capricious political sentiments can become in the unique circumstances created by the pandemic.

Political leaders around the world would do well to remember the dire consequences of taking their eye off the ball and following the wrong instincts as Trump did. Perhaps the greatest win for democracy is, as the US election showed, for all their apathy, when the chips are down the people will reclaim their rights.