By Elezo Libanda
Katima Mulilo, Aug. 17 – As national elections scheduled for next year are fast approaching, political parties are busy around the country, striving to persuade the electorate to vote for them. Political education becomes imperative to empower the electorates with knowledge about what to expect and how to responsibly exercise their democratic right to vote.
Within the community, some individuals have refrained from voting for over a decade due to reasons known only to them. However, this lack of election education has had consequences. For instance, abstaining from voting means relinquishing the right to complain about the prevailing situation, as it was through non-participation that the status quo was allowed to persist. By casting a vote, the electorate essentially empowers someone to act on their behalf. This signifies the potential to challenge the existing norms if conditions aren’t favourable. Interestingly, the current system doesn’t distinctly identify who has voted and who hasn’t. If this were the case, authorities could gauge who has the right to voice complaints. Some individuals choose not to vote but actively engage in criticism.
Despite the efforts of the Electoral Commission of Namibia, which has organized various educational sessions on elections, certain individuals still opt not to register or, if registered, decide not to vote. In other countries, abstaining from participating in democratic processes is considered a violation. This voting opportunity provides the community with the means to select representatives for the government of the day.
Access to information plays a pivotal role in ensuring that elections transpire freely, devoid of intimidation or coercion to support unwanted candidates. Past experiences reveal instances where political parties have resorted to tactics such as bribery, providing drinks, and employing other strategies to sway voters in their favour. However, post-election, these potential leaders often vanish until the next voting cycle.
In light of the populace’s frustration with inadequate service delivery from political office bearers, especially at the regional level, there’s a growing demand to revise legislation that simplifies the removal of underperforming regional councillors. The electorate seeks a straightforward way to dismiss officials they have elected, without encountering convoluted processes. The voters consider themselves the employers of regional and local authority councillors. Despite some councillors being political appointees, the electorate believes that their votes enabled these officials to hold office. The notion of waiting for an entire term to elapse doesn’t sit well with the electorate. There’s a call for laws that facilitate the straightforward removal of non-performing political leaders. – Namibia Daily News
