Preparing for 2011 elections

Preparing for 2011 elections
By Editor
Sat 16 Jan. 2010, 04:00 CAT

Elections are very important and as such we need to prepare for them adequately. The decision by the Mpika diocese of the Catholic Church to sensitise the electorate so that they can vote for leaders that would answer to their needs needs to be emulated by all whose job is to preach the Gospel.

“We have already begun sensitising our people on what they should be looking for in terms of who should be their leaders, who should represent them in council and Parliament, including the presidency. I think the whole of this year it will be like preparing for 2011. It should be a crucial year. So the best we can do is to start preparing the people; looking at the qualities of the people that would want to represent them at the various levels of our government system.

This year, I think we are going to spend time doing that. All the priests in terms of preaching, in terms of the sermons that they deliver, they have to touch some of these issues and therefore preparing the people for the elections next year.” This is how the Mpika diocese looks at next year’s elections; and this is what they are doing to prepare their congregations for next year’s elections. If all the Catholic dioceses, if all the Anglican dioceses, if all the Christian congregations and other religious groupings were to do the same, what wonderful prospects would be there for our country!

As Christians, our people are expected to vote wisely and only for people who are known for their honesty, ability, dedication and concern for the welfare of all. Our people need to be helped to make full use of their right to vote. And they should be made to realise that it is a Christian responsibility to do so. The participation of Christians in elections, in voting should be guided by the Gospel values.

What our people should be seeking with their votes is genuine democracy in which the elected leaders are servants of the electorate and not its masters. Good governance will only occur in our country when we vote for 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. Only those who demonstrate awareness that politics is an area of great importance for promoting justice, peace, development and community among all should be given votes. Christians should regard their votes as a tool for building up society for the common good.

The right to vote bears positive fruits for the country only when we choose good leaders for presidency and for members of parliament and councils. It is therefore important that those who are eligible to vote cast their votes for candidates who will serve the country with justice towards all.

We strongly advocate voting for candidates who consider themselves accountable to their electorate, who consider the public interest rather than their own, who keep in touch with their constituencies, and who are faithful to their election promises; politicians who respect the rights of others, who do not use their positions to amass wealth, and who are mindful of the many fellow citizens who have little or none. We therefore encourage all Christians to get themselves informed about the character and conduct of all those seeking their votes. Hence, when the time comes to vote, they should vote for the candidates they see as the best for us as a nation. Every candidate should be evaluated on the basis of their capacity, of their personal vision.

Those who offer themselves for re-election should be evaluated against the record of what they have or have not achieved. Did they fulfill their promises? Did they offer quality service to all the people and not only to those who voted them into power? Were they available to listen to the concerns of the people and were they selfless in responding to the needs of all, especially the poor?

Those who have not yet held office should be carefully evaluated in terms of their competence and their reputation for honesty and selfless dedication to the common good.

The qualities that candidates of political office should have are many. But we think the most important ones are: courage to speak out the truth, concern for social justice, desire to work for the common good instead of self-enrichment, disposition to use power for service - especially service of the poor and underprivileged - openness to dialogue, good moral standing, transparency and accountability to the electorate. Above all, we believe Christians should realise that they have the moral responsibility to vote for candidates who follow the example of Jesus, who came not to be served but to serve (John 13:2-17) and who emptied himself for the good of everyone (Phil 2:5-11).

It is now time to review the performance of our present representatives, weigh them in the balance of truth, justice and unselfish service, and, if we find them wanting, reject them and elect others in their place. This is our inalienable right. But this gives rise to another issue: the character of the candidates themselves. There is little benefit in voting out the old, if the newly elected may prove equally disappointing. Our vote can help eliminate the unworthy and improve the quality of Zambia’s political leadership. Once every five years, save for the presidential, parliamentary and local government by-elections, the law puts this power in our hands. Let us use it wisely and bravely. Our vote is a powerful weapon for unity, an instrument of liberty, justice and peace. On our voting, on the quality of it, the discernment behind it, depend the progress and peace of our country.

In casting our votes when the time comes next year, we should never be swayed by personal profit, regional or tribal bias, but solely by consideration of which of the conflicting issues or candidates is better for the nation. We should scrutinise the people who wish to represent us and select those to vote for strictly according to the good we think they can do. The interest of our political parties should be kept subordinate to the public good. We should all be guided by the truth, integrity and justice which are anchored on God’s commandments.

It is therefore very important that the Church and other institutions help in whichever way they can to educate our voters and raise their awareness to the highest levels possible. Education is a vital component of any society, but especially of a democracy. As Thomas Jefferson wrote: “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilisation, it expects what never was and never shall be.”
It is said that people may be born with an appetite for personal freedom, but they are not born with knowledge about the social and political arrangements that make freedom possible over time for themselves and their children – such things must be acquired. They must be learned. Therefore, voter education will be very vital as we approach the 2011 elections so that we all make informed decisions in the choices we make, in who we give our votes to. As we approach next year’s elections, there is need to sensitise the Zambian voters about intolerance, intimidation and lust for power.

There is need for the clergy to make their congregations understand that from a Christian point of view, politics aims at the promotion of the common good and the service of all the people. Everyone is free to give one’s vote to the candidate one thinks is best fitted for this responsible task, provided the candidate is not an openly known corrupt element, tribalist and intolerant politician. Preparations for the 2011 elections should start now. We say this because tomorrow is built on the threshold of today, that is, what will happen in 2011 will depend on what we do today.