Why elections in new districts are too important to neglect

Casting a ballot on Election Day strikes many of us as a kind of civic obligation; neglecting to do so is not so serious as neglecting to hustle to put food on the table.

After a month of campaigning, today, the people of Kibaale, Kakumiro, Kagadi, Rubanda and Omoro go to the polls to elect their leaders for the next five years. This is their right, and not a favour offered by any politician. After the campaigns full of promises - practical as well as impractical, unimaginable lies, veiled intimidations and fear psychosis, today is the voters’ turn to cast the die.

When the voters make their decision, it will be like a vow that would decisively affect their lives for the next few years, if not a lifetime seal. Albeit the reality, many people don’t appreciate that an election begins a social contract between the electorate and its elected leaders. Many times, politicians take advantage of the electorate’s little understanding of the importance of elections to hoodwink them in various ways.

Reports from the districts having elections indicate that the campaigns were relatively calm. However, the politicians in their coarse characteristic ways attempted to putrefy the calm. Acts of bribery and intimidation reared their ugly heads.

In Rubanda specifically, one of the woman MP candidates was seen handing out cash to village associations and in turn asking for their support.

Of course, no politician or agent has the right to influence the voter by way of bribery, deception, intimidation or threats. In the same way, the responsibility to protect the voter from these deceptions and intimidations, lies on the law enforcing authorities - the police and the election management body.

It is the responsibility and in the interest of all political parties, law enforcement authorities, election observers and other key stakeholders to prevent the recurrence of such malpractices and create a conducive atmosphere for free and fair elections.

If the people who are voting today take the wrong decision due to the deceptive propaganda by the politicians, or if their decisions are distorted by way of rigging, intimidation, threats or manipulation by candidates, then all of us will suffer the brunt of bad elections.

Any electoral malpractice is bad enough to warrant bloodshed or cancellation of an election. History has shown us that if an election goes bad, the possibility of violence becomes inevitable. On the other hand, if voters make wrong choices, then they will have to wait for another five years to rectify the wrong or at the earliest, they will have to pay heavily to run a fresh election in form of a by-election. Either way, a bad election causes immense and sometimes irreversible loss – financial or otherwise.

Elections are not a spectator sport; they are an avenue to change communities for the better. For the voters, it lies squarely upon you to be wise enough to choose a clean, focused candidate who has a positive agenda that resonates with your respective community.

Considering that our elections lately tend to be tainted with lies, insults, threats and all sorts of vices, it is important for the voters to carefully assess what they have been told by the politicians and make prudent decisions.

Be wary of politicians who use foreboding language or those who suggest they have the exclusive power of bringing about change single-handedly. Whereas the practice of holding elections has become routine, let’s strive to make elections work for us. Collectively, we must act in ways that will rebuild confidence in elections, ensuring their credibility and believability.
The elections that are happening today are too important to neglect!

Mr Kaheru is the coordinator, Citizens’ Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda. [email protected]