I'm not sure that type of style would work well in the canon universe, because
that is a diseased culture, in many ways. And you can either fight it (whether outwardly or not) and be true to yourself, or you can surrender to it. And the canon Dukat chose surrender and lost himself as a result.
As for why the AU Cardassians recognize other types of leadership, I think the impact their faith has had on their culture plays into it, too. (Though I should caution that can't be ALL of it, given that our own culture is not always tolerant of what it espouses.)