Clean polls the best legacy to leave behind
I ask the party in power to uphold the sanctity of the ballot and respect the right of the people to elect their representatives to the legislative body.
The best legacy the administration can leave behind is clean and honest elections. On the other hand, attempts to manipulate the electoral process, "as developments in the past few days seem to indicate, would ultimately result in the death of democracy and widespread chaos."
One such signs is the report that the military is taking a direct hand in the campaign under the pretext of voter education. The participation of the armed services, besides being totally unnecessary to achieve the intended purpose, could easily work to intimidate the people.
I appeal for calm and sobriety, as peace is a prerequisite to the conduct of an honest and credible election. The voice of the people must be heard above the din.
It is only during elections when the ordinary worker carries the same weight as that of the corporate CEO or, indeed, the president of his country. However, the powerful stack the cards against him.
The great masses of the people are vulnerable to the machination of those who hold the levers of power. And perhaps we in the opposition will have to accept the bitter fact, at least until the people, in God’s own time, are redeemed from the shackles of poverty and ignorance.
But we will not tolerate it if the administration, having failed to influence their choices in the campaign, shifts gears to thwart their will at the polls.
John Locke said legitimate state authority is derived from the consent of the governed.
All freedoms—of assembly, of worship, of the press—proceed from the freedom to choose those who will govern the country. Once you deny the people that freedom, democracy deteriorates into tyranny.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:15 am
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