2024’s Elections: Global Status Quo under Siege

Political analysts and policy makers reckoned 2024, the year of change and the year of elections as more than half of the world population has to use their voting rights, across ninety states. By the half of the year, various states have gone into elections, however the voting patterns have taken aback everyone, including the political leaders and the analysts proving that they have failed to understand the intentions of the voters.

The general elections in Pakistan has been finally carried out on February 8, after complex legal procedures, primarily motivated by political grid-locks. Despite, unavailability of level playing field for all the political parties, with one of the major political parties has been marginalized by abandoning its electoral symbol by the higher judiciary and the enactment of several other covert pressures, public, especially youth came out to vote for those independent candidates, who were nominated by that particular party. These happenings were unprecedented, as the people have overwhelmingly given their decisions against the status quo and even the key institutions seemed to fail in managing the elections, first ever in the history of Pakistan.

Similar streak has been witnessed in the general elections of India. Before the elections the Baharati Janata Party (BJP), was quite confident to attain two third majority: Modi usually used the rhetoric ‘Ab ki baar 400 par’ (this time 400 par) in his election campaigns and the political commentators were also expecting same results. The outcomes of the polling in the first week of the June, however, surprised everyone.  By and large people haven’t shown interest in the notion of ultra-Hindu Nationalism promulgated by the BJP, as she failed to secure even simple majority in the Parliament. Though Narindara Modi resumed the charge of Indian Prime Minister for the third time but for that he used the shoulders of two other parties the Telugu Desam Party of Andhra Pradesh and Janata Dal (United) of Bihar. Even the opposition parties including the Indian National Congress (INC) were not expecting such results. It depicts that every stake holders have failed to understand the pulses of the electorates.

The story of United Kingdom is not so different. The ruling party, the Conservatives has been completely out classed by the Labour Party. Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the Conservative Party has nominated as the new Prime Minister as his party has achieved land slide victory in general elections by clinching 412 seats out 650. The Conservatives, which was ruling the state for almost one and half decade, however, has won mere 121, and it is deemed as its worst defect for last two centuries. Liberal Democrat, a third party has performed reasonably well by securing 71 seats. It is quite evident that the Liberal Democrat is emerging as a threat for the pre-existing main two parties in the upcoming elections. The land slide triumph of the Labour Party and the dawn of third force along with the humiliating defeat of the Conservatives have staggered everyone.

It became a cumbersome task to recognize the political behaviour of the people. But across the world one thing is predominantly common: laymen are not happy with the powerful actors of the state. The recent presidential elections in Iran is the true illustration of the above notion. The reformist, Dr Masoud Pezeshkian has become the new president of Iran which was an utter surprise for the whole world. Dr Pezeshkian is against the prevailing policies of Iran and also urged in his election campaigns that he wants to develop an amicable relationship with the western world by engaging them politically and diplomatically. Moreover, he criticizes the role of moral guards of Iran which is in the direct control of the Supreme Leader. On the contrary, his opponent Dr Jalali who has lost the run-off election despite his stanch anti-western narratives coupled with the support of conservative groups including Ayatollah Khamenei, their Supreme Leader.

Society is undergoing rapid change. It is crucial now to address people’s grievances by prioritizing their common interests when crafting policies.

The National Popular Front (NFT) a leftist party gained majority support in French elections is another surprise for the world. Though every party has failed to achieve decisive seats, NFP, Enseuble- lead by the current President Emmanuel Macron and the National Rally have won 178, 150 and 142 seats respectively, out of 577. The polarized mandate simply means, the next government will be a hung parliament which will ultimately exacerbate the political crises further, in future.

The changing nature of voting trends, worldwide likely reflects that the people are not happy with the existing governing system in the states. Thus they want change, for which they are using their own power: the power of ballots. For last few years almost every state is facing political crises, resultantly, increasing economic recessions and subduing social developments. Such circumstances directly influence the lives of populace, either increase in inflations, surging unemployment or compromise on other basics needs. Therefore, people have given their decisions, anonymously, by challenging the power of status quo, believing that they are the major culprits behind the sufferings of the whole population.

The extraordinary role of social media is another reason which forces the people to go against the grain. In past it was a plan sailing for the powerful actors to manage the media. They used to set their own narratives and the public unconsciously started to believe in them, as the society lacked diverse discourse. In contemporary society, the dynamics have altered, completely. State agencies have failed to control social media and the flow of information. Moreover, common people have become cognizant of various socio-political and economic realities, the excess of multiple opinions are also perturbing traditional powers to impart their opinion in people’s mind.

Society is undergoing rapid change. It is crucial now to address people’s grievances by prioritizing their common interests when crafting policies. Failure to do so could result in those currently in power being ousted by the same people who empowered them today.