There is a public outcry in Homa Bay County after Raila Odinga’s ODM party gave a direct ticket to an aspirant seeking the governor’s seat in the coming General Election. The story is the same in Siaya where another of his loyalists was handed a direct ticket for the governor’s seat.
Deputy President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA), on the other hand, negotiated on who will run on the party’s ticket for Senate and governor in Nairobi and Kakamega. In Nairobi, Woman Representative aspirant Delvine Moraa is crying foul after Dr Ruto announced that Millicent Omanga had been offered direct nomination.
These are results of what parties dub negotiated democracy. However, is it really democracy when the negotiation disenfranchises the electorate and is only meant to benefit a few individuals within parties?
Granted, political parties have a right to choose their flag-bearers through means they deem fit. However, a proper democracy favours universal suffrage. The reality about Kenya’s political parties is that they have the so-called strongholds where they hold so much sway that whoever they pick as their candidate will most certainly win in the main election.
This means when a party gives a direct ticket in a region where it has euphoric following, the bearer of that ticket will win the election as a representative of the people when in the real sense the electorate had little say in their election. In essence, they are not elected, but selected. Where is the democracy in that?
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Merriam-Webster dictionary defines democracy as government by the people, especially rule of the majority. Oxford dictionary puts it even better, “a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a State, typically through elected representatives”. However, “democracy” in Kenya’s political parties is defined by a few people – usually the party owners – deciding on behalf of the entire population.
Perhaps you would ask why this happens every election cycle. First, the parties – all of them – lack proper structures that would enable them hold credible nominations. In fact, no Kenyan party has ever held anything close to credible nominations.
For instance, the last time ODM tried to elect national officials, the story that came out of Kasarani Stadium, where polls were held, was about men in black who caused chaos and disrupted the process. On the eve of UDA nominations yesterday, there was chaos when youths burned ballot papers in Embu. In Cherangany, Kilome and Nakuru, there were protests over alleged rigging.
Secondly, because of the lack of proper structures, the parties don’t even have genuine members who can be trusted to elect aspirants in the primaries. What with so many recent stories about political parties stealing Kenyans’ identities. Finally, is the issue of politics of tokenism. Kenyans are so used to being given handouts that when a candidate is forced down their throat, they swallow it hook, line and sinker.
Our idea of democracy doesn’t have to be this bad. Party leaders and officials need to put proper structures and give the electorate the leaders they deserve; leaders they can question and hold to account.
