ALL over the world voters are going to the polls to reject or re-elect parties or leaders in power. Some elections are so tightly fought the winner is difficult to declare until the last vote is actually counted. Others are so clearly a landslide win it’s over even before the last precinct has closed.
But whatever the margin, there is a development the world over that I am bothered about — and that is the unwillingness of the losing side to accept defeat. It used to be a purely Philippine “phenomenon,” where a candidate either wins or is cheated. But this is now global and I cannot escape wondering if this “win or be cheated” virus was spread the world over by the Philippine diaspora and is now true from Pennsylvania to Patagonia.
Well, okay, maybe not Patagonia but from the US state of Pennsylvania to the Brazilian state of Parana. The developing attitude around the world is this: my candidate either wins or he was cheated of victory and I will not accept the results.
The voters — they’re beginning to act like spoiled brats. Brats who either get their way — or throw a tantrum until they get their way.
‘The voters — they’re beginning to act like spoiled brats. Brats who either get their way — or throw a tantrum until they get their way.’
And that poses a grave danger to democracy.
The essence of democracy is freedom — freedom of expression and of choice being two crucial aspects. Part and parcel of the freedom to choose — specially to choose how to be governed and by who — is the unspoken understanding that after the din of the electoral battle has died away, the peoples’ choice will be respected, whether it is a choice of a whopping majority or by a slim minority. The winners govern and the losers hone their message so that at the next turn they could compete to win the mandate. That’s how the people exercise their supremacy in a democracy — by speaking through the ballot.
But now, more and more people are taking the attitude that they will only respect the ballot if the results are what they want it to be. Otherwise, the system be damned.
Mananalo kapag hindi dinaya. I will only win if I am not cheated. It’s the perfect justification for refusing to concede defeat. And for bringing down democracy on our heads.
Will we have the spoiled brats get their way?
