Give democracy a chance
Feb 25, 2011
ON Wednesday the Kampala mayoral polls were suspended following incidents of ballot stuffing which precipitated violence.
ON Wednesday the Kampala mayoral polls were suspended following incidents of ballot stuffing which precipitated violence.
The Electoral Commission (EC) called off the election after determining that irregularities were committed and had some of its agents arrested for flaunting procedure. The EC’s prompt response may have alleviated a bad situation and they need to be commended for that.
In the meantime, the Police should investigate and expeditiously prosecute the suspects.
But events surrounding the discovery of the infringement suggest that our primordial instincts are not lurking very far below the surface.
Members of the public meting mob justice on suspects, breaking into polling stations and destroying private property and elected leaders inflaming them by compromising electoral material, were a sad commentary on our claims to democracy. Something went wrong at several polling stations and there are institutions charged with sorting out these crimes.
We may have our doubts about the competence or impartiality of these institutions, but to resort to populism and mob action hinders, rather than advances, the cause of democracy.
Strong institutions are the hallmark of democracy. The Government has an obligation to give these institutions every opportunity to grow through funding, creating an enabling legal framework and allowing them their autonomy.
Ugandans then have to exercise these institutions by referring to them rather than taking the law into our own hands.
To assume that the institutions of government are biased in one way or another, to ignore them and mete out our own brand of justice is a recipe for anarchy.
They say never underestimate the stupidity of people in big numbers and there is a reason for that. Let’s give democracy a chance by referring our grievances to the relevant institutions.
The Electoral Commission (EC) called off the election after determining that irregularities were committed and had some of its agents arrested for flaunting procedure. The EC’s prompt response may have alleviated a bad situation and they need to be commended for that.
In the meantime, the Police should investigate and expeditiously prosecute the suspects.
But events surrounding the discovery of the infringement suggest that our primordial instincts are not lurking very far below the surface.
Members of the public meting mob justice on suspects, breaking into polling stations and destroying private property and elected leaders inflaming them by compromising electoral material, were a sad commentary on our claims to democracy. Something went wrong at several polling stations and there are institutions charged with sorting out these crimes.
We may have our doubts about the competence or impartiality of these institutions, but to resort to populism and mob action hinders, rather than advances, the cause of democracy.
Strong institutions are the hallmark of democracy. The Government has an obligation to give these institutions every opportunity to grow through funding, creating an enabling legal framework and allowing them their autonomy.
Ugandans then have to exercise these institutions by referring to them rather than taking the law into our own hands.
To assume that the institutions of government are biased in one way or another, to ignore them and mete out our own brand of justice is a recipe for anarchy.
They say never underestimate the stupidity of people in big numbers and there is a reason for that. Let’s give democracy a chance by referring our grievances to the relevant institutions.