Maravi

Don’t re-elect those who have failed to deliver

Don’t re-elect those who have failed to deliver
By The Post
Thu 27 Jan. 2011, 04:00 CAT

Those who offer themselves for re-election ought to be evaluated against the record of what they have or have not achieved. Did they fulfil their promises?

Did they offer quality service to all the people, not only 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?

Were they courageous enough to speak out the truth? Did they have enough concern for social justice? Were they desirous of working for the common good instead of self-enrichment? How disposed were they to use power for service, especially service of the poor and underprivileged? Were they open to dialogue? What is their moral standing? Were they transparent and accountable to the electorate in their dealings? Were they in leadership to be served or to serve?

Depending on how they measure up to these issues, they themselves should know whether they are fit or not for re-election. They say kuipima. One should weigh oneself against the standards that are required of a leader for one to seek re-election. The question should always be: my people have given me five years to serve them and this is what I have done in those five years. If am given another five years, what am I going to do? If the answer is nothing, then let another person take your place. We say this because public office is not for the political or financial survival of any individual. The primacy of the common good should take precedence over all other considerations when deciding whether to retire or seek re-election. And those who elect others to public office should never be swayed by personal profit, tribal or any other bias, but solely by the consideration of which of the conflicting issues or candidates is better for the nation or the community. We should scrutinise the people who wish to represent us and select our candidates strictly according to the good we think they can do. The interest of the political parties, or indeed of the individual, should be kept subordinate to the public good. We should aim our choices at the promotion of the common good and the service of all the people. We read in the scriptures that “The Son of Man himself came not to be served but to serve” (Mark 10:45). The focus should be on improving the life of the nation or the community.

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 our new representatives. Once every five years, the law puts this power in our hands. Let us use it wisely and bravely. On our voting, on the quality of it, the discernment behind it, depend the progress of our country.
And when it comes to those who have not yet held office, we should carefully evaluate them in terms of their competence and their reputation for honesty and selfless dedication to the common good. We should also look at their competence, 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.

We therefore encourage all those who are going to vote in this year’s elections to get themselves informed of the manifestos of our various political parties. The manifestos are supposed to have the programme of action the parties propose to follow in order to serve the good of all people. A sound manifesto should articulate achievable programmes that will enhance the development of our country and our own wellbeing. Hence, we should be able to decide to vote for the party that has a programme we see as the best for us as a nation. Candidates for political parties will be committed to the manifestos of their party as well as to their personal vision for their constituency. Candidates should therefore be evaluated on their capacity to implement both their party’s manifesto and their personal vision.

Only those 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, should be considered for re-election. In addition to this, only those who respect the rights of others, who do not use their positions to amass property, especially land and money, and mindful of the many who have little or none.

Our right to vote bears positive fruit for the country when we choose good leaders for presidency and for the membership of parliament and for our councils. And therefore, we must do our duty as citizens by choosing people who will serve the country with justice towards all; people of genuine integrity, moral courage in the cause of truth and justice, and who are competent for the posts entrusted to them. There is need for us to use our votes for the good of Zambia, as opposed to the good of a particular party, group or individual. We should be conscious of the crucial role which each individual citizen should play in choosing the leaders who will create the type of Zambia we want to live in. We must vote for people of integrity regardless of the region they come from, their tribe, language, political or religious affiliation. Zambia needs patriotic leaders; people who place national interests before personal ambitions. This imperative duty must be fulfilled carefully and we must choose wisely people who will take the direction of civil affairs. Whether our country will have good or bad laws, an upright or inefficient administration, will depend on the way we vote. If we are reckless in the way we vote, we run a risk of getting into public offices people who have no national interests at heart and who are going to jeopardise the future of our country and that of our children. When the time for elections comes, let’s vote according to our conscience, in accordance with the highest human values without allowing ourselves to be pressured or dictated to by bribes, threats, self-interests and so on and so forth. Clearly, those who have failed to deliver, as Fr Andrew Chenjerani Phiri has correctly observed, should feel ashamed to seek re-election. And if they do, no one should vote for them. Don’t vote for those who have failed to deliver, who have betrayed public interest and the poor.

posted by MrK @ 4:52 AM