We can have better campaigns!

SIR—Now that the presidential and parliamentary elections are over, debate is now going on among local councillors and the general public whether the campaigns for LC5 chairmanship should be carried out individually or jointly by all candidates in a joint candidates’ meetings as was the case in 1998. My views on this are: i) The monetisation of the electoral processes as witnessed in the recent elections makes it impossible for good candidates who do not have substantial amount of money to effectively participate in the electoral process as voters must be bribed handsomely. ii) Individual merit does not exist any more as that has now been replaced by individual money. No money, no votes. iii) Vulgar language was used against opponents in the just concluded parliamentary elections. I believe this would not have happened if the candidates were together in the joint candidates’ meeting. iv) Some civil servants and security personnel took advantage of individual campaigns to openly campaign for certain candidates which situation could have been avoided if the candidates were together. v) Joint candidates meetings will obviously restrain the incumbent Local council chairmen from gross misuse of public utilities such as vehicles for campaign purposes. vi) Separate and individual campaign rallies can only operate best under the multiparty system, not under the movement system. Finally, the authorities concerned with elections should table a Bill in Parliament to reinstate joint candidates’ meeting for the forthcoming Local council elections due early next year. Peter Okot Lira