Choices, What Choices?

RIGHT, so now we know what’s what as far as party lists or promises from the major pretenders are concerned. And to be honest, there’s not much there to inspire any great confidence for a more robust problem-solving approach to our pressing national issues in the years to come, regardless of what the outcome of the upcoming elections might be.

It’s the same faces, saying the same things … or not (as recently indicated by an Institute for Public Policy Research paper on parliamentary contributions).But then what could the expectation have been, judging by the way all the parties have up until now approached these elections – seemingly treating it as something of a lackadaisical saunter towards a minor event to be overcome before settling down once again into the status quo rut. Apart from releasing their all-round vacuous manifestos with great fanfare at hasty media conferences, our political parties have literally been silent (notwithstanding the tribe specific door-to-door and kraal-to-kraal campaigning in certain regions and ‘reservations’).Just over two months away from the most important event in our national election cycle, and I’m still left with the impression that there’s so much missing. There’s just no vibrancy or dynamism or any sense of impassioned conviction and appeals – there’s just no real campaigning going on. Swapo’s recent launch of its parliamentary candidates list and manifesto underlines this impression succinctly – it’s the same old, same old, with a sprinkling of corruption accused. But then why should it bother with change, even if only cosmetic, when it’s a seemingly unassailable incumbent on a long ‘Independence honeymoon’. What’s worse, for us the electorate, is that opposition parties seem to have accepted their second-class status and are acting accordingly, literally conceding the election, with their inactivity, before a single ballot has been cast. After coming out with a sparkle a la CoD, the RDP has almost fizzled to silence. When was the last time anybody heard anything from HH anywhere? In fact, Swapo uncannily, with all its hysterical knee-jerking, of late seems to be doing more campaigning for the RDP than the party can muster for itself. And with these elections being the litmus test for this fledgling party, the RDP’s mute invisibility is confounding. As for the rest, the APP, Nudo and UDF are wrapped warm in their minority mentality, even though they’re going through the motions of sounding inclusive. These parties are nothing but cultural interest groups – lobbyists basically – and aren’t trying very hard to pretend otherwise. The DTA … well, who knows what the DTA is all about these days. The CoD’s protracted cannibalism should bear more bitter fruit this time around. And the RP seems to be unveiling a very novel campaign strategy – appealing for sympathy votes not to commit suicide.One almost gets the sense that they’re all so self-assured of retaining their plush parliamentary seats that they’re not going to make much effort at convincing us of the merits of having them around.And in case anyone has forgotten, all the people on all the party lists are the same lot who not too long ago pushed for a hefty increase in their pay and perks, to not show up at Parliament, at a time (which is basically all the time) this country could and can least afford it. They must think we all suffer from the same warped logic of the encamped struggle kids – even though they blame Swapo for all their alleged misfortune and disenfranchisement, they wouldn’t hesitate to vote for the party again at the drop of a hat. Maybe they all plan to pull finger in the weeks and days immediately preceding the elections and surprise us with a magical circus of promise making. But I think we’ve spoiled our political parties. In the end, all things considered, we probably deserve the representation we get, as the adage goes, because we don’t seem to be demanding more and better from those who presume to be our leaders. In view of this, come polling day, it would seem that some of us will definitely find ourselves wedged very uncomfortably between a very solid rock and a very hard place when it comes to choice. But then, considering this tepid lot, if the elections were held right now, why bother voting at all. In a bag brimming with bad choices, what choice do we actually have?