The Debate Continues as the Candidate List Grows

Whenever I read some books of the Old Testament like Daniel, Esther and others, I never fail to be amused at the flattery or sycophancy of the courtiers of the old kings and rulers. Those subjects always opened their address to reigning monarchs like Nebuchadnezzar with “O king, may you live for ever.”Â As far as they were concerned the monarch was not just going to live and reign for many many years, but would reign ad infinitum.Â According to the contents of the For di People newspaper, the ruling All Congress Party (APC) is going to rule this country for ever and ever till the end of time.

Bumbuna is a big success, inflation is down to single digit, food security has increased threefold since September 2007, (mind you the tractor engines haven’t even been switched on yet) and the cost of living has taken a nose dive. Oh yes, the number of youths presently unemployed is down to an all time low. Would that the managing editor and his team of journalists would visit the main markets and speak to ordinary supporters so as to determine how their life styles have improved since the mighty, invincible APC came to power, thanks to you-know-whom. An honest ride in a poda poda van, or a taxi will not fail to bring them to reality. Why don’t they read honourable Emanuel Tommy’s recent experience with irate APC youths outside the Miatta conference hall? We owe our present stability to the resilience of our people who quite recently went through hell. Newspapers like for the New Citizen repeatedly exhort us to refrain from distorting the image of our country. But is it we who distort or the government and its supporters such as they, who have not changed and who, in spite of the rhetoric have really not positively rebranded the image of the country?

While the PMDC is rapidly falling apart, its current chairman and publicity secretary keep reassuring the remaining membership and a skeptical public that things are going well and that new members are joining the party on a daily basis. Even where signed letters of group resignations are published in newspapers, we are told that it is all in the imagination of people or detractors. So let it be Mr. Fortune, but you must be familiar with the adage which says it is up to you when very thirsty to quench that test with water that is heavily laced with burning pepper. The white man would say that “To lie to others is dishonest, but to lie oneself is unhealthy.” Time will decide as to who is fooling whom.

The list of prospective candidates for the position of Flag bearer of the opposition SLPP keeps growing. If what appears in the newspapers is anything to go by, there are currently at least 25 such aspirants. I thought people only abandoned a sinking ship, but here we have a party which is being written off on a daily basis by its detractors but which continues to attract people who would like the honour of leading it in 2012.

The SLPP must be a strange sinking party, which remains so strong in times of weakness. There is some interesting correspondence going on in the media about the recently amended SLPP constitution. Some like Dr. Kadi Sesey speak of certain omissions in the ratification process while others like Abass Bundu take the position which is supported by the Constitutional Review Committee, that the process was faultless and therefore the instrument should be forwarded to the PPRC without delay. This old fool Puawui, who is often brilliant, will give his own opinion as to the way forward early next week. For now it is democracy at work and bravo to a party that is open and transparent.

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