Maravi

Electoral Corruption

Electoral Corruption
By Editor
Monday September 15, 2008 [04:00]

Election campaigns are very important and should be taken seriously by both the candidates and the electorate. The election campaigns our presidential candidates and their followers are conducting all over the country may sometimes appear silly. But their function is deadly serious: to provide a peaceful and fair method by which the citizens of this country can elect their leaders and have a meaningful role in determining their own destiny.

And for this reason, the electoral process shouldn’t be prostituted through electoral corruption, bribery, manipulation and cheating of the electorate.

If this is allowed, it will falsify the will and interest of the people to put into office the most inept, the most corrupt, the most shrewd, the one who bribes the most, those who have sugar and mealie-meal to distribute – the ‘sugar-daddies’, rather than the most competent and the most honest.

We say this because voting in an election of public officials is the most visible and the most common form of citizen participation in the governance of the country.

And it is also the most fundamental form of citizen participation in the governance of the country.

The ability to conduct free and fair elections – elections free from corruption and other electoral malpractices – is at the core of what it means to call a society democratic.

And it shouldn’t be forgotten that in a democratic election, the struggle is often not to determine which candidate commands the greatest public support, but who can most effectively motivate his or her supporters to convert their opinions into votes. And this is best achieved through campaigns.

And for this reason, campaigns should be kept clean and devoid of corruption. It was for this reason that the electoral code was established.

The Electoral (Code of Conduct) Regulations, 2006 make it very clear that “every person shall during election campaigns and elections promote conditions conducive to the conduct of free and fair elections and be bound by the code”. This code stops political parties and their candidates from bribing the electorate.

Under this code, every person has the right to express, among other things, political opinions; debate the policies and programmes of political parties; seek the protection of the law from harm as a result of their political opinion or affiliation.

This code outlaws discrimination against any person on the grounds of ethnicity, among other things.

It seems Rupiah Banda has serious problems adhering to the requirements of this code. Rupiah has turned this election campaign into a Christmas period – a time for dishing out gifts such as sugar and mealie-meal.

This is in total violation of the Electoral Code.
Rupiah has also encouraged the discrimination of politicians who don’t hail from the Eastern Province of our country.

He has told the people of Eastern Province to tell other candidates to go back to where they come from when they step foot in Eastern Province to campaign.

This is discrimination that the electoral commission has justly criminalised.
And Rupiah and his followers are also violating the rights that this code gives to every citizen to express political opinions by trying to treat them as enemies of the state.

It can also not be denied that Rupiah and his followers are abusing the state-owned and government controlled media. All that it should take is one to analyse the coverage that Rupiah and his followers are receiving from the state-owned media and it will be clearly revealed that they are receiving preferential treatment.

These are the issues that make character an important matter when choosing leaders. The conduct of Rupiah is frightening.

He has exhibited some very high levels of intolerance, discrimination and propensity for corruption. Imagine what will happen when Rupiah assumes full powers of the president if today he can behave in this way when he is holding only limited presidential powers.

Our parliamentarians were very much aware of the dangers of electoral corruption, of the effects of bribery when enacting our Electoral Act.

They were aware that it is very easy for the voters in a poor country like ours to be swayed by bribes or whatever they may be called. The negative effects of gifts and bribes on a person’s thinking are recognised even in the Bible. In Sirach 20:29, it is said that “gifts and bribes make even wise men blind to the truth and prevent them from being honest…”

If Rupiah wants to be a ‘sugar-daddy’, distributing sugar and mealie-meal, there will be enough time after the elections for him to do so. He can spend as much of his money as he wants on buying sugar and mealie-meal and giving them away to the poor, to those who most need them.

There will be nothing wrong with this. Rupiah may actually win the praise of all our people for being kind.

But to do so for purposes that appear to be corrupt may land him in problems with the Electoral Commission because it is a violation of the law. And one who wants to be president cannot afford to be so lawless.

The other thing Rupiah needs to know is that every citizen of this country has a divine right to question his decisions and actions. It is not wise for Rupiah to refuse to talk to a Post reporter because the newspaper has been critical of his utterances and actions.

He shouldn’t forget that every candidate in this country has been subjected to scrutiny.

Hakainde Hichilema and Michael Sata were subjected to this two years ago. And most issues concerning them are already in the public domain and are well known by the voters. What the voters may not know well is the character or personality and thinking of Rupiah.

And any serious media organisation is duty-bound to give an opportunity to the Zambian people to know who Rupiah really is. And if they decide to vote for him, let them do so with the full knowledge of who Rupiah is and not out of ignorance.

It is clear that Rupiah is very desperate to become president of the Republic of Zambia and sees everyone opposed to him, who questions him as an enemy who should not be tolerated in any way.

Rupiah has not only threatened our commercial interests but today he doesn’t want to even talk to our reporters who are carrying out their normal editorial functions. What will happen to us and others who Rupiah sees as enemies when he becomes president?

The desperation of this man is frightening and he seems ready to resort to anything to become president. He seems to be ready to embrace tribalism, corruption and intimidation to become president.

We have the right to express our opinion on Rupiah’s conduct, character or personality without victimisation. And the Electoral Act allows us to do so. But Rupiah doesn’t seem to have respect for law and the rights of others.

It will not be far-fetched for one to think that if Rupiah becomes president, Zambia will only be for his tribesmen, his followers and supporters and those who voted for him. Last week we were told by tourism minister Michael Kaingu that there is a witch-hunt in government and the MMD to flush out or ostracise those who didn’t vote for Rupiah, those who supported Ng’andu Magande and others.

Clearly, Rupiah’s character needs serious analysis because the elements he carries in him are very dangerous. Rupiah carries in his character, in his personality intolerance, corruption and tribalism.

These are not good elements to have in a leader, especially one who wants to be president of the Republic. Rupiah needs help to straighten himself up in these areas if he has to be president of our country.

There is a danger that if he becomes president and does not change his approach on these issues, his intolerance and tribalism may lead him to commit atrocities that may make him end up at The Hague – the International Court of Human Rights. And his tendency towards corruption may make him end up being prosecuted for abuse of office after his term comes to an end.

The choice is up to the Zambian people but they should exercise it with the necessary knowledge or awareness and not out of ignorance or darkness.

Labels: CORRUPTION, ELECTIONS

posted by MrK @ 4:15 PM