Why IEBC’s position is simply untenable

Democracy is a political system that entails a free and fair election open to all eligible citizens to take part in selecting their leaders. In other words, leaders are chosen by the people. Many of the most successful countries in the world operate under a democratic form of government.

One of the key advantages of a well-run democracy is that it prevents monopoly of authority. Due to the fact that the government is bound by an election term where parties compete to regain authority, democracy prevents monopoly of the ruling authority. And, the elected ruling party would make sure their policies will work for the people, as they will not be able to remain in power after their term with bad records — they will not be re-elected.

While democracy is noted as one of the most efficient government systems, it is not without a downside. Because the election process of representative government focuses solely on the majority, and is run on a winner takes all basis, the minority groups, no matter how significant their issues may be, are rarely represented simply because they do not have the majority votes to get one of their own elected. This causes a feeling of separation with these groups as well as feeling like their issues are not as important. This feeling can be all the more keen when it is perceived that the reason why they remain in the ‘minority’ is not so much a product of fact as sleight of hand.

When there is a segment of the country that feels marginalised and removed from national affairs, and cannot gain relevance via the usual process of elections, the nation state becomes gravely imperiled. A government that will not listen to wananchi, the clergy, civil society or the international community and insists on surrendering the country to a high state of entropy in the name elections is a mortal danger to the republic.

Be that as it may, it is easy to think that the panacea to all problems lies in separatism, yet in reality all that it achieves is moving the old problems to a new and smaller theatre. Our brothers in South Sudan continue to tackle the most delicate and challenging issues despite their right to self-determination.

The continued belligerence by the Jubilee regime in the face of pressure to reform the electoral body before the next elections is very short sighted. Ostensibly, the laws are clear and must be followed. Yet how does a wrong thing become right simply because it is enacted into law? Did Jesus not proclaim that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath? The law is a tool that is used to serve people; it is ridiculous to claim that the law prevents one from addressing a glaring injustice. There are credible claims that the IEBC is corrupt and incompetent. And yet, no action can be taken because the law provides a path that is viable only for the party with a majority in the National Assembly. Granted, while the entire country knows of the malfeasance within the IEBC, there are many who defend it out of bigotry.

It appears that we are at a point where those who wield power must decide whether it is more preferable to break the law or to break the country. The current stance they have taken, contending that they will rigidly subscribe to the law, while posing no peril to the nation, is simply untenable. It is unrealistic to assume that a large part of the country will be contemporaneously defrauded and docile. Something simply has got to give. Whether this is before or after the coming General Election is up to our Jubilee overlords.