The Cabinet Lesson: Parliament Has Sent a Message.
By Miyanda Laiti
Almost half of the members of the immediate past Cabinet have failed to make it back to Parliament. That development should not simply be treated as an electoral statistic. It is a political lesson, and the new Members of Parliament would do well to study it carefully.
Elections have a brutal way of reminding politicians that public office is never a permanent entitlement. A ministerial position, a parliamentary seat, proximity to the President, or membership of the governing party may provide political visibility, but none of these guarantees the continued confidence of the electorate.
The message from the electorate should therefore be taken seriously.
There were constituencies where UPND members themselves openly told their colleagues that they would support President Hakainde Hichilema at presidential level but would not vote for the sitting Member of Parliament. That distinction is extremely important.
It demonstrates that voters can separate the popularity of the President from their assessment of their local representative.
A Member of Parliament cannot therefore assume that the President’s popularity automatically transfers to the ballot paper bearing his or her own name. The President may win the confidence of the electorate while an MP loses it. That is precisely why MPs must build their own relationship with the people.
The new Parliament must learn this lesson early.
Do not plug cotton wool into your ears when the people begin to complain.
When constituents say that an MP is inaccessible, listen. When communities complain that development is not reaching them, listen. When party members warn that the local political structure is becoming disconnected from ordinary people, listen. When supporters tell you that your personal popularity is declining despite the President remaining popular, listen.
Politics is fundamentally about listening.
The danger begins when elected representatives surround themselves with people who tell them only what they want to hear. Eventually, political reality arrives at the ballot box, and by then it is too late to correct the problem.
The defeat of experienced politicians should also remind the new MPs that Parliament is not the final destination of a political career. It is a responsibility temporarily entrusted to them by the people.
They must therefore remain visible, accessible and accountable.
The people do not elect MPs merely to occupy parliamentary seats. They expect representation, advocacy, development oversight and a genuine connection with their communities.
The new MPs have been given an opportunity to learn from those who have just left Parliament.
Let them not repeat the same mistakes.
And, above all, let them never become so powerful that they can no longer hear the voices of the people who gave them power in the first place.
The ballot box has already delivered the warning.
Listen before the next election speaks.