Pride in the Language of Democracy

On the night of the announcement of the results of the recent Canadian election, I watched the scene in front of my screen with rapt eyes. Officials quickly and accurately announced the final results, confirming that the Liberal Party had won the most parliamentary seats, ensuring the Liberals' continued hold on power. What captivated me at that moment was the result and the way it was accepted. I saw the leaders of the rival parties, who had only just participated in heated debates, come out to offer their congratulations in polite language, calm and responsible speeches, free of insults and accusations of betrayal. They were filled with promises to continue working from a position of opposition to serve the citizens. As a Canadian, I felt proud: this is the true face of democracy. Not only winning creates greatness, but accepting defeat with dignity and acknowledging the will of the people without questioning the legitimacy of the election or the integrity of the system. My mind then shifted to comparing what we are witnessing in the United States of America, whose Constitution has been the beacon of democracy since its founding in 1766. Unfortunately, we now observe the degraded language and waves of skepticism about the election results between the Republican and Democratic parties in the United States. There, the image of democracy has been distorted before the eyes of the world, and election campaigns have turned into personal battles filled with accusations and hostility. This undermines American citizens' confidence in their institutions and conveys a distorted image of American democracy to the world.

What's even more shocking is that in our developing world, the degraded political language is not a passing phenomenon but an established culture. There, politicians betray their opponents for differing opinions, accusing them of being traitors and turning their rivalry into existential opposition rather than legitimate competition. Many of our political systems lack the maturity to accept defeat as if losing means exclusion, not learning.

My message today to societies still finding their way to building true democracies is: Democracy is not just ballot boxes or numbers announced on screens. Rather, it is a culture of respect—respect for competitors, respect for other opinions, respect for the will of the voter, and respect for institutions.

If we aspire to solid democracies, we must first change our political language. Our societies cannot thrive if parties continue to view their political opponents as existential enemies. People will not respect the results of elections if their leaders continue to sow doubt before each election.

Let us learn from these scenes

and reflect: How can we cultivate a culture of recognizing the other in our societies? How can we make elections an opportunity to build bridges, not dig trenches?