Kathmandu In 2024, almost half of the world’s population voted, elections were held in 80 countries worldwide. There was violence in some elections, some elections led to political turmoil.
The year 2024 was said to be the ‘super year’ of elections. Because more than half of the world’s population voted this year. Elections were held in countries ranging from the US to India.
During the election campaign, US President Donald Trump was attacked. During the elections, the biggest violence in the history of Mexico happened. Despite 37 candidates being assassinated, Mexico got its first female president, Claudia Sinbaum.
In the year 2024, power changed in four continents. This change was violent in many places. However, in the end, the basic idea of democracy was transfer of power “according to the wishes of the people”.
Elections held between 2020 and 2024 and their results had to face challenges. According to various studies, one out of five losing candidates reject the election results. Such activities undermined voter confidence. Such activities reduced the legitimacy of the electoral process and citizen participation.
According to a report by Freedom House, democracies are weakening, dictators are becoming more repressive. According to the report, in the 62 elections held in 2024, 25 percent of voters did not have the correct choice.
In countries like India and South Africa, the long-ruling party retained its power but lost its majority. The recent political crisis in South Korea has once again shown the importance of healthy democracy.
In the year 2024, the right-wing emerged in Europe. In 2024, right-wing parties won in several places in Europe. Right-wing forces became stronger in Germany, France, Austria and the European Parliament, Romania. Presidential elections are being held again in Romania. Russia and TikTok are accused of interfering in the previous elections. After these events, the question is raised whether the euro is returning to the situation of the 1930s. Fascism was at its peak in Europe in the 1930s.
The Labour Party won a historic victory in the 2024 British election. There was so much discontent that less than half of the adult voters participated in the election.
However, when analyzing the elections around the world, the UK can be considered an exception. According to the election data from around the world, the average voting ratio has increased for the first time in the last 20 years.
However, some of the basic principles of democracy throughout the year; freedom of expression, equality were under extraordinary threat. These threats mean that democracy is under threat.
In 2024, democracy was seen not only at the ballot box but also on the streets. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are examples of this.
The Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, has left the country and is living in exile in India. “The best answer to those who challenge democracy is more democracy,” writes Cornell University’s 2024 Global Democracy Report.
If the major feature of the year 2024 is the opposition to democracy. This year, people saw a lack of enthusiasm and faith in democracy. Almost half of voters in the United States said that democracy did not represent ordinary people well. Similarly, a survey of more than 30 African countries found that support for democracy has declined.
“It is risky to say that people have given up on democracy. But expectations of democracy have declined,” says Bedi Hadij, director of the Asia Institute at the University of Melbourne.
“All major Western democracies have turned their backs on democracy, given the right-wing sentiment,” he adds.
The process of turning back democracy is beginning to be seen in rich countries. In 2024, Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, not only contributed 200 million dollars to Donald Trump’s campaign. He directly supported Trump’s election rallies. He also used his social media platform X to support Trump. The increasing influence of the wealthy in the government and elections threatens to take away democracy from the hands of the common people.
More people voted in the 2024 election than in previous years. However, political parties have made little effort to bring women into leadership positions. Indonesia, India, the United Kingdom, Pakistan and South Africa had no female candidates for the top job.
As of November 2024, the number of women heads of government in the United Nations member states has reached 17. Whereas, in 2023, 19 countries had women as their heads of government. However, in Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum won the presidency. The participation of women in Mexico’s parliament is more than in any country in the world.
Despite these many hurdles, the main feature of 2024 was that billions of citizens of 80 countries voted. The life of democracy is that the citizens choose their leaders. Agency