WAS ALL THIS NECESSARY?
The decision that has come out of High Court of Zambia today ordering the Electoral Commission of Zambia to postpone parliamentary by-elections in Kwacha and Kabushi and hold fresh nominations allowing Mr Joseph Malanji and Mr Bowman Chilosha Lusambo to contest was expected. It is not a surprise, the opposite would have been a surprise, a shocker. And the Electoral Commission of Zambia and its political masters knew very, very well that they had no reason, legal or otherwise, to stop Mr Malanji and Mr Lusambo from being candidates in these parliamentary by-elections. But they still went ahead to issue an precedent press statement that no nominations will be accepted from Mr Malanji and Mr Lusambo. And indeed on the nomination day they refused to accept their nomination papers. There’s no doubt that the Electoral Commission of Zambia was working on instructions from its political masters.
Mr Malanji and Mr Lusambo took the matter to the Constitutional Court and got a favourable decision confirming their right to contest these by-elections. But still the Electoral Commission of Zambia, together with their political masters, decided to proceed with the by-elections minus Mr Malanji and Mr Lusambo in total disregard of the Constitutional Court decision. Ballot papers, which now have to be thrown away, were printed at a very high cost to the taxpayer. And Mr Hakainde Hichilema, at a very high expense to the taxpayer, went on an expensive five-day door to door campaign in Kwacha and Kabushi.
In more accountable societies many would lose their jobs at the Electoral Commission of Zambia for the damage they have done to the institution’s public standing, credibility and the money they have wasted. Oh what a web they have weaved themselves into through trying to be lawless, crooked, dishonest, vindictive!
And can Mr Malanji and Mr Lusambo reasonably expect this Electoral Commission of Zambia to ran free and fair by-elections in which they are candidates? Will they level the play field and ensure that the by-elections are postponed for a reasonable time to allow Mr Malanji and Mr Lusambo to catch up because they deliberately disadvantaged them?
Again, we ask: why all this intransigence, desperation?
We all know that one of the hardest things to do in life is to do the right thing. What we think are the right things. Not what our friends, family and bosses think are the right things.
What is the right thing? That’s up to us to decide. Often we have a little voice in our heads that tells what the right things are. Or a gut feeling. God expects each one of us to play our part in helping to make this country a better place than we found it. We owe it to ourselves and to future generations to ensure that everything we do is done right and for the benefit of citizens and all who live here.
Doing right is not a sign of weakness, it is however a sign of maturity, integrity and responsibility. It’s only mature, responsible and people with integrity that are always doing what is right.
Doing the right things in every situation has many benefits. Doing the right things gives us peace of mind. When we are on the right side of the law we are at peace with ourselves. We go to sleep knowing that all is well with us. Knowing that we do not expect the unexpected.
There is nothing more uncomfortable than going to bed with an unsettled mind. Everything we do has a way of catching up with us. What goes around comes around. In this life we tend to get what we give. By doing the right things we tend to get the same things back. Do the right thing, put in the extra effort.
When we don’t do the right things we are not only sending out signals out into our world. We are also sending signals to ourselves. When we don’t do the right things we don’t feel good about ourselves. We may experience emptiness or get stuck in negative thought loops. Its like we are letting ourselves down. We are telling ourselves that we can’t handle doing the right things. To not do the right things is a bit like punching ourselves in the stomachs.
A powerful side effect of not doing the right thing is that we give ourselves a lack of deservedness. This can really screw up you and your success. If you don’t do the right thing in your life then you won’t feel like you deserve the success that you may be on your way towards or experiencing right now. So you start to self-sabotage, perhaps deliberately or through unconscious thoughts.
Doing the right thing increases your integrity – and integrity matters. You become more trustworthy and respected. And don’t forget: the truth will come out.
Fred M’membe
President of the Socialist Party