The elections are now upon us, and this time around, they have changed from a phenomenon that most had not experienced in their life to something that now has a more serious air among the public.

That is not to say the people have never been serious, but the fanciful hope of clearing all issues of the nation once a democratic government is established have now faded, and people see that change is a long and hard process.

Many are commenting that the ruling party losing followers and voters are signs of its inability to carry out its duties. While there is no denying that the incumbent government has not made as much progress in certain sectors as people have anticipated, this migration of former supporters is a sign that people are becoming more confident in pursuing their agenda as opposed to following the masses.

The people are now learning that it is okay and actually essential to a democracy that there are different voices and opinions to keep things in perspective. But what they need to be aware of moving forward is that this doesn’t mean they have to view other parties as to the enemy. They are opponents and competitors, but they are also allies working towards the same goal of healing our nation. It has been mentioned incessantly that it will take a lot of time to resolve issues caused by armed conflicts that have been around for more than 60 years in our country and just a little over a decade of civilian administration has barely gotten a head start at addressing these issues. The election may be over, and a new government may be formed, but the issues will remain the same, and it will still require all of us – the general public, politicians, civil servants, military personnel, armed ethnic groups and everyone else to move ahead while building trust and understanding and a common footing for solidarity and reconciliation.

GNLM