Lessons from last elections demand vigilance
…There is a need to defend democracy
By Alfred Sayila
AFTER the just-ended general elections last month there is need for all the people in the country to sit back, seriously reflect, objectively analyse and mentally discern the future political wind before the next polls in 2031. And should people lose their guard to defend the fragile democracy this country restored in 1991, there is every chance of falling back to a one-party dictatorship that lasted for eighteen years – to 1990.
A contentious election such as the one which has passed has the potential to produce leaders who may wish to assert absolute authority on the people and use every method in the book to suppress the voice of opposition and maintain their hold on power. Some leaders in the ruling clique may resort to all manner of political manipulation and manoeuvering to woo support for their auspicious scheme.
A lot of money and favours will be used to buy off support from an unsuspecting, weak but influential members of the public and corrupt opposition groups while the next step would be to weaken the civil society organisations and some government institutions responsible for overseeing governance issues in the country.
Although the incumbent President, Hakainde Hichilema, during one of his campaign stints in the North-Western Province stated that he did not recognise and accept independent candidates his regime will be the first one to court for their support in Parliament. Knowing that whoever has majority in the National Assembly carries the day when voting on motions takes place.
Under the new proportional representation arrangement, definitely the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) would want to have most of the members of Parliament from the vulnerable disabled, youth and women groups. Already some of the representatives from these groups have started idolising the President as if he is the one who brought it forgetting the debate started way back in the late President Rupiah Banda’s regime and would have gone through the late President Edgar Lungu’s Bill 10.
Talking about public institutions, Parliament is not the only one which the ruling party may be interested in but the Judiciary as well. This is even made more possible due to the lacunae in the Constitution which gives the republican President just too much power being the overall appointing authority for all top jobs in the public sector.
It is these glaring loopholes in the principal law of the land that have made the Executive wing of government to appear supreme over the Legislature and Judiciary despite them having separate and distinct roles to play in the governance of the country.
Sadly still, the republican President’s sweeping legal powers have not only confined him to making nominations and appointments of the top positions in Parliament, Nudiciary, National Prosecution Authority (NPA), commissions, boards, security and defence forces making him into a de facto policy maker, legislator, judge, prosecutor and defender. All this has happened because of a porous Constitution which can easily be manipulated.
Coming to another important public institution which may not be part of the government triumvirate, the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) is indeed autonomous but mot independent. It is not only funded by the treasury but has its commissioners and chairperson appointed by the same sitting president. The question is how infallible can such an electoral body be when it comes to delivering a free and fair election? The answer lies in what has just happened during this year’s general election.
It was the first time that glaring disparities in figures actually divided the country in two between a north-eastern and north-western blocs because of regional, tribal and ethnic population distribution.
Such kind of voting is not only normal but plays fact and loose with the country’s motto of One Zambia, One Nation. It should be remembered that any voting based on ethnic affiliation and manipulation of figures can easily promote civil strife. Other than that stifling the voice of the people in an election is as good as driving a horse and cart into a helpless crowd.
This should be the reason to propose and come up with an electoral body that is really independent and whose officials are put in office by an equally non-partisan authority whose only desire is to deliver a free and fail election and not one subject to pressure from other powers with interest in the outcome of the results. Favouratism in any election tempts those in authority to set their own laws, rules, policies and procedures
The whole truth is that those who hold top positions in the Executive, Parliament, Judiciary and electoral body cannot bite the finger that feeds them. In the normal circumstances their allegiance in the first place is to the appointing authority while kow-towing the official government line. There is also a need to change laws that give the sitting President just too much power to a point where he can use his position to undermine democratic rule.
But then this has been happening for many years until crafty dictators have emerged trying to dribble their way past the legal systems, upsetting the political equilibrium and then entrenching themselves in power. Another question will be where is everyone when this mortal being with a handful of his lieutenants scheme their coup de grace? They are sleeping, complacent, docile and passive.
The other tragedy is that the media, which likes to call itself as the Fourth Estate of government is busy appeasing its masters. The public media more especially has made itself into a cartel of government lapdogs who spend their time doing damage control for officials in public jobs instead of reporting truthfully on issues affecting the country.
It is a pity that the public media sustained with tax-payer’s money should only report positively for those in the ruling party and not the opposition. The public newspapers, radio and broadcasting stations during the one-party rule were even more democratic in their reportage than they are today. In those days it was common to read scathing editorials against government in the newspapers than the public relation pieces we are being served with every day.
Again in those days reporters for the two public newspapers exercised their professional ethics and some of them were whipped in the newsroom by leading politicians who thought they had been misquoted and would put them in bad limelight with the powers be. But that was the genre of that time of journalists who did not want to be bootlickers of the ruling party and its government or become hoggish mouthpieces of those in power.
Okay, it is understandable for public media journalists to lick the boots of those in power for the sake of keeping their jobs and knowing which side of their bread is buttered. But this should not be at the expense of their professionalism and ethics. It is interesting most scribes in this country like ordinary citizens suffer from myopia and short memory. They have forgotten how this country slid into one-party rule only ended when people took to the streets in form of food riots.
The deceptive democracy of the United National Independence Party (UNIP) before going out of power it held for 27 years from the time the country attained its independence from Britain left a trail of misrule, propaganda and systematic elimination of opposition elements. It all started with cajolery, promises, ear-catching slogans, political songs and dances.
This is bound to happen again should Zambian people deliberately decide to forget about the past, fold their arms in desperation and pander to the new political treacheries of opportunistic leaders in the ruling party who in the first place should have not been there had it not been for luck, fate and destiny.
But think, if power-hungry politicians in the past have been able to manipulate the electoral process what more this time with weak links in the Constitution and public institutions? Only an alert and fearless citizenry with strong morals can put in check another budding dictatorship.
Mind you political tyrants do not come breathing fire at the first opportunity. They do this over time after growing roots and putting everyone in their pockets.
Dictators and tyrants will always start with flowery language, appear with ox-like innocence, share grandiose vision and make wild promises yet inside their hearts are ravenous and vengeful beasts bent on political patronage and will do everything in the book to remain in power. They have to do this in order to cover their dirty business tracks, abuses in office and other crimes they may have committed.
In conclusion the just gone elections have left a bad mark on Zambia’s democracy which was the envy of other countries in Africa and abroad. At the same time, they should serve as a lesson on what could happen in future if people lose their guard and fail to be vigilant. Remember this country cannot continue to be an oasis of peace if free and fair elections are stifled.
This calls for all manner of leadership at all levels to remain focused and not to be easily manipulated by politicians who are not there to serve the people but their own pockets and stomachs. They should be ready to defend the cause of democracy to the point of being persecuted, brutalized and even shedding blood. In fact, the freedom struggle for independence in this country was not peaceful as some may think, people died.
One thing that people need to know is that they are the king-makers of politicians who normally are led into politics for money, power and privilege. Hence only those who are selfless, humble, honest and full of integrity should be allowed to lead while come-by-night chancers should be given a boot at the earliest time possible.
Wait a minute, why out of about nine million registered voters only less than six million cast their ballots? The apathy should mean something and no-one knows what those who did not vote are thinking right now.
Again, why was there no wild celebration of joy in various parts of the country when the ECZ finally announced who had won the presidency with landslide? The mood has continued to be cool and cautious partly because the status quo has not changed, there is nothing to holler about, people have not appreciated the incumbent or simply do not agree with the ECZ results.
Just as the leader of the European Union (EU) observer mission expressed shock over the happenings in the just-ended general election so have some Zambians. There is need as chief EU observer Mr Michael MacNamara said to do a recount of presidential ballots, investigate who was responsible for killing of the former cabinet minister Mr Mutotwe Kafwaya, bring to account those who commanded the assassination and to speedily produce in court all those being held in custody for treason and sedition.
Failure on the part of President Hichilema and his government to act on what the EU observed will further tarnish the image of this country to the international community which may in turn affect donor support. The European observer mission is concerned that the elections have put a smear on Zambia’s long-held tradition of holding safe, free and fair elections.
All these reasons are not good for both the people and leaders. Why? The latter once they know the people are not with them may be forced to impose their rule risking a revolt from those who may feel they have been pushed too much to the wall and it is time for them to react in whichever way they see fit to register their discontentment. This cannot be good for the country which has seen peaceful transitions of power in free and fair elections.
To avoid setting the country on fire leaders in the public sector more especially those serving in the Executive, Parliament and Judiciary should base their stand on the epithets of democracy and administering the rule of law without fear and favour. It is even good for them to resign their jobs if ordered to do things against their own conviction.
Only when ministers, members of Parliament and members of the Judiciary are able to take a firm and impartial stand based on their values and principles will real democracy reign in this country.
Otherwise tin-pot dictators and tyrants taking advantage of the peoples’ timidity, indifference, fear and ignorance will try their luck to bribe and manipulate their way to absolute power.
But then why sink so low to allow new-comers to power to usurp authority when the forefathers of this country fought the ruthless colonialists to hand us the independence we are enjoying now?
That same spirit should be used against anyone who tries to entrench himself in perpetual power at the expense of freedom of speech, freedom of association and freedom of assembly. Let the will of the Zambian people prevail forever! VIVA ZAMBIA.
The author is a former journalist, lecturer in journalism, clergyman and now political activist.
