No one is invincible

TO encourage persons to get involved in politics sees constant rejoinders of rejection and the statement, “politics is a dirty game.” Yet it is politics, from which decisions flowed, that impact our lives from the womb to the tomb. Wanting nothing to do with it will either make us zombies in our daily existence, or complicit participants to whatever treatment is being meted out to us. Being the beneficiary of positive actions augurs well, but ill when adverse.

Politics is about people and their development. It is not meant to be a game nor be dirty, for whereas it is competitive by nature, driven by the aim to influence and retain power to execute an agenda, properly practised it can redound to the benefit of the people. This requires an approach that sees obligation to treat the citizenry with respect by upholding their fundamental rights and freedoms in the management of the affairs of state, irrespective of ethnicity, creed or class.

Rogues who use politics and the political parties to engage in inimical conduct are the ones that give this service-driven profession a bad name. Around the world politicians are found wanting and are being asked to account for their stewardships, and this is a good thing. It is necessary for me to cite examples of how they and the political parties hold on to the notion of invincibility that have informed a continuous abuse of the privilege given to them and the goodwill of citizens.

The most recent example is Jacob Zuma, former President of South Africa and former leader of the revered African National Congress (ANC). In managing the people’s business, he was constantly accused of discriminating in favour of friends and the well-connected at the expense of the ordinary folk who took the time, joined long lines to exercise the well-fought-for right to vote, that won him the presidency.

Repeated allegations of impropriety and misconduct were stoutly defended and his leadership position in the country and party could have only succeeded so long, because the elected members of the ANC stood in his defence. Zuma’s arrogance and alleged corrupt practices caused the ANC to lose major cities in the last elections because the black middle-class saw his conduct as repugnant and moved away from the party

The time came when the party was forced to make a choice between cuddling corrupt leadership or maintaining political power. It has chosen the latter and Zuma was properly dealt with when allowed the choice to resign and save face, or suffer the ignominy of a no-confidence vote in the National Assembly supported by his own party. He resigned on Wednesday.  So powerful was he, he probably never thought he would have met such humiliation at the hands of those who had protected him over the years.

Zimbabwe currently mourns the death of Morgan Tsvangirai. He had accused Robert Mugabe of corruption, challenged him for the presidency, and was made prime minister in a unity government. In tasting political power, he began a process of abusing the privilege to the point when at his wedding the motor vehicles used were top-of-the- line BMWs and Lamborghinis. This event was seen by the citizenry that all he wanted was political power to feather his nest. At the next election the electorate abandoned him.

Closer home, the Trinidad and Tobago People’s Partnership (PP) Government, led by Kamla Persad-Bissessar, saw her several efforts to rid the administration of corrupt officials, but in the final analysis the electorate rejected the coalition. Persad-Bissessar was stunned, apparently driven by the notion that in taking action against some corrupt and undisciplined officials, the society would have granted her another term. That coalition misread the tea leaves of society’s intolerance.

Patrick Manning, of the Peoples’ National Movement, suffered a humiliating defeat that saw the victory of the PP. This defeat was in large part to him picking fights with, or alienating members of his cabinet, party, supporters, and at times attacks on members of the trade union movement and civil society, who expressed dissimilar opinions to his. It is instructive to note his targeted groups were depended on while in the Opposition and they helped influence the thinking of society that propelled him into office.

At home, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) never felt it would be in opposition — and society was influenced to think so — because of race-voting. This notion of invincibility ignored the people’s cries for good governance.  Allegations of corruption were mocked or dismissed, laws were trampled with impunity, citizens were treated with contempt, the nation’s resources were abused and contracts designed not with the prime objective of ensuring Guyana gets the best but the contractor(s), self and connected. When a battered and determined citizenry pulled the rug of arrogance from under the PPP/C’s feet in 2015 and put them in the opposition benches, rather than question what had led to their downfall they cried “rigged elections.”

What political parties and politicians are failing to grasp is that the privilege granted to govern does not confer a right to abuse citizens and the resources of the state.
To abuse the privilege granted by the people and expect that there will be immunity from accountability not only reduces politics to a dirty game, but making a fool of oneself.

Governments around the world — be they coalition or unitary — have had one or more terms. What is however evident — though often ignored due to arrogance — is that removal  from office is largely due to departure from commitments made in pre-elections campaigns. Citizens vote for parties based on these and the manifesto must always be seen as a contract with the people. When you violate this contract, you lose the people and it matters not whether they voted race for at the end of time government will be held accountable, based on its commitment.

Zuma was no ordinary politician given the role he played in toppling apartheid in South Africa. Neither was Mugabe, who led Zimbabwe into independence, but Mugabe was compelled last November to demit the presidency by members of his own party and government on allegations of impropriety.  If men of such historical repute are seen to have lost their way and are being held accountable for their actions, lesser politicians than they need to take note.

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