Topic: Promoting Peaceful Post-Election Transitions
Country: Austria
Delegate Name: Matt Bacon
School: Forest Hills Northern High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Austria position papers GLIMUN 2008 committees
When elections around the world take place, the voters should be rest-assured that their vote counts and is heard. Elections are the strong foundation in a democracy. Post-elections must be peaceful; otherwise the government will be skewed also and may even be plagued by dictatorship. Governments of nations must strive to ensure a strong foundation of peace in post-elections to provide the best outcome for a nation.
Austria believes that the UN must make sure that countries hold peaceful elections and peaceful post-elections transitions must be put in place in order to ensure the elected leader of the nation is respected and is well represented by the people. Austria also believes that the elected leader does not have unlimited power. This is the small difference between dictatorship and democracy. The Nation must have a set of checks and balances to balance the power and therefore nobody could be a power hungry leader. Austria also strongly believes in peaceful post-election communications between the leaders and the leader-elect. No matter the leader-elects feelings about the leader or visa versa, they must appreciate the job their predecessor has done trust that their subordinate will do his or her best. It is mandatory that this tradition of passing the torch from leader to leader-elect keeps on because it keeps the peace within the people of that nation and thereby allows the nation to move forward.
Post-election times are not always the happiest and easiest times in a nation, but Austria knows how important it is to keep the peace during this time. We might not always like the leader or the leader-elect, but it is our responsibility of a nation to rally for them no matter how we feel, we must stand by our nation’s decision.
