When institutions fall, elections become engineered outcomes

Ballot boxes at a polling station during the past election.[File, Standard]

There comes a moment in the life of a nation when the question is no longer whether its institutions exist, but whether they still mean anything. Institutions are not buildings, logos, or statutes. They are living commitments to restraint, fairness, and truth.

When they function, power is moderated, rights are protected, and the future remains open. When they are hollowed out, power stops being accountable and begins to reorganise itself around survival.