Democracy is not merely the existence of elections. It requires leaders who respect constitutional limits on power, institutions free from political interference, and citizens who can speak, organise and make choices without fear.
On this #InternationalDayOfDemocracy, we must defend the democratic gains Maldivians fought so hard to secure. But that cannot be where our responsibility ends.
The next chapter of our democracy must be about restoring trust, with leadership that listens, institutions that serve everyone equally, and a government that remembers power belongs to the people.