Maravi

Politics is not for politicians alone

Politics is not for politicians alone
By Editor
Wednesday March 26, 2008 [03:00]

THE political management of the affairs of our country is a collective responsibility of all of us as citizens. Of course citizens cannot be required to take part in the political process, and they are free to express their dissatisfaction by not participating. But without the lifeblood of citizen action, democracy and indeed good governance would begin to weaken.

We urge all Zambians to heed the advice of United States Ambassador to Zambia Carmen Martinez and be interested in the politics of their country.

And as Ambassador Martinez correctly observed, politics are not for politicians alone but the voters as well – they are for all citizens. And voting in the election of public officials is the most visible and common form of participation in modern democracies, and also the most fundamental.

We have a responsibility, as citizens, to participate in the politics of our country and ensure that the democratic process is functioning. We need to always educate ourselves about the critical issues confronting our country – if only to vote intelligently for candidates running for high office.

The essence of democratic action is the active, freely chosen participation of citizens in the public life of their community and nation. Without this broad, sustaining participation, democracy will begin to wither and become the preserve of a small, select number of groups and organisations. But with the active engagement of individuals across the spectrum of society, democracies can wither the inevitable economic and political storms that sweep over every society, without sacrificing the freedoms and rights that they are sworn to uphold.

Active involvement in public life is often narrowly defined as the struggle for political office. But citizen participation in a democratic society is much broader than just taking part in election contests. At the neighbourhood level, citizens may serve on a school committees or form community groups as well as run for local office.

At the national level, citizens can add their voices and pens to the continuing debate over public issues or join political parties or other voluntary organisations. Whatever the level of their contribution, a healthy democracy depends upon the continuing, informed public participation of the broad range of its citizens. Moreover, it is said that what a single ant brings to the anthill is very little; but what a great hill is built when each one does their proper share of the work.

But the participation of citizens in the political life of their country should be based on noble sentiments and guided by noble ideas if it is to be of much value. And we urge all our people to make full use of their rights and consider it a citizen responsibility to participate in the politics of their country. We say this because citizenship demands the positive contribution of everyone, old and young, to building our nation’s future. This includes voting, running for office, volunteering in a civil society organisation, fighting corruption, paying taxes, obeying the laws and so on and so forth.

And as citizens we must vote wisely during elections and only vote for people who are known for their honesty, ability, dedication and concern for the welfare of all. What people are seeking is genuine democracy in which leaders are servants of the electorate and not its masters. Good governance only occurs when we have intelligent, honest and humble leaders who see politics as a vocation to serve the people.

No one deserves to be elected unless they love their country more than themselves. We should be aware that politics is an area of great importance for promoting justice, peace, development and community among all. And as such, as KK once observed, politics should not be generally seen as dirty because it deals with people’s lives – the promotion of justice, peace, development and community among all.

We should therefore regard politics as a vocation, a way of building up society for the common good. For these reasons, politics needs people with high credibility who are conscious of their specific and proper role in the political community. And as we have stated before, we need politicians, we need politics because an authority is needed to guide the energies of all of us towards the common good. And we need the government, the instrument by which we cooperate together in order to achieve the common good.

We value the democratic system inasmuch as it ensures the participation of citizens in making political choices, guarantees to the governed the possibility of electing and holding accountable those who govern them, and of replacing them through peaceful means when appropriate.

In politics our people come together with different interests to work for the common good. All citizens are called to participate actively and responsibly in the affairs of their communities and indeed of their nation. Individual citizens are obliged to make their specific contributions to the common good.

We, the citizens of this country, can make a difference if we get fully involved in national affairs.

We shouldn’t forget that democracy is a process, a way of living and working together. It requires cooperation, compromise and tolerance among all citizens. Making it work is hard, not easy. Freedom means responsibility, not freedom from responsibility.

We all have a shared responsibility for the political management of our country and each one of us should do his or her part in the best way they can. Democracy embodies ideals of freedom and self-expression, but it is also clear-eyed about human nature. It does not demand that citizens be universally virtuous, only that they will be responsible.

Man’s capacity for justice makes democracy possible, but man’s inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary. Therefore, we should never try to be indifferent about the politics, about the affairs of our country. We should at all times endeavour to be interested in the politics of our country and fully participate in the management of the affairs of our nation.

Labels: CARMEN MARTINEZ, POLITICS

posted by MrK @ 3:35 AM