EVALUATE ELECTORAL PROCESS

Sir,

As we approach 2018, which is election year in the country, I am wondering if it is not time for us as a country to do a brutal introspection on whether we need to introduce some changes to certain aspects of the electoral system.

I am an admirer of the process of our system in ensuring that the most popular candidate proceeds to Parliament in a constituency.
This is a system that does not have any complications. The mission statement of Parliament says: ‘To provide an environment where the passage of legislation and the exercise of oversight over the Executive is done in a dignified and honest manner, putting the people first.’  A mission statement summarises the objectives and values of an institution. Is our Parliament living up to its mission statement? If not, what are the reasons?

Parliament’s mission statement is strongly worded, these should not be just words but it should be the guiding principles of how we all work towards ensuring that all our actions are aligned with this powerful mission statement.  Areas where I believe our system needs serious review in order to make the mission a reality are the following:

A certain level of education should be a pre-requisite for any aspiring Member of Parliament, this is more so the case considering that Parliament, by its very nature requires some level of literacy and it is a miracle that we expect illiterate Members of Parliament to somehow understand and contribute meaningfully to Parliament business, and it is a very strange conviction. 

While it is true that literacy can never be a measure of intelligence, it would still be bizarre to expect an illiterate Member of Parliament to effectively deliver on his/her mandate without the ability to read and research on any legislative matters.

The electorate seemingly believes that Members of Parliament should somehow play a role as development officers in their respective constituencies. In my view this endemic philosophy is warped as it can only be addressed through civic education on what the role of a Member of Parliament is.

The process of recalling a non-performing Member of Parliament needs to be seriously interrogated and made simpler and clearer.
As a country, I don’t think we are getting any value from Parliament by virtue of not having the right caliber of people who will effectively debate legislative issues, hold the Executive to account and ensure that government does not embark on wasteful expenditure at the expense of life and death issues.

It is no secret that the current arrangement allows characters with shady backgrounds and dealings a real chance of becoming MPs, as long as they deliver and promise goodies to the electorate who are naturally vulnerable because of the numerous economic challenges we face as a country. The vetting system for prospective MPs, if any, needs serious evaluation with a view to establishing the track record of the candidates before they even become elegible to be voted into office.

This would eliminate the serious questions around some Members of Parliament who for instance have dual citizenship in total contravention of the laws of the country. If in doubt, just ask yourself how many former MPs have gone back to their real country, the evidence is there, we can refute it at our peril.

Hanger
MHLUME

NOTE: As a means of affording them the right to reply, this letter was emailed to the Elections and Boundaries Commission on May 22, 2017 and unfortunately they did not respond.

Ed 

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: