Real democracy begins

Albert Nhamoyebonde
MANY people are obsessed with democratic elections ignoring the fact that, whereas elections play a role in democracy, it is what happens after elections when real democracy starts. In several countries, clamouring for elections has not brought any democracy to the rest of the people. Nothing changes in their lives.

In Zimbabwe, what President Mugabe outlined in his inaugural address is what will define real democracy in the country.
Yes, elections are over but, what remains is to fulfil what the electorate entrusted on the politicians when it went to vote them into power.

While the President singled out, women, the unemployed youth, the peasant, among other sections of the electorate, democracy can be affected in how policies of Government shall address the aspirations of the people.

In countries that have monarchies at the top of their system of government, people are required to serve the aristocrats.
Where countries have presidential systems, the people do not serve the politicians but, that the politicians are expected to serve the people. This is what democracy is all about.

From the lowest levels of politicians, fronted by councillors in local authorities, to members of parliament, democracy must be understood to mean, serving the people who elected them.

In several countries that go into turmoil after elections, it is not the disputed elections that are the problem but it is how those societies define their democracy.

Take for example the problems in Muslim countries. The unrest in Egypt and other Arab and African countries, is about serving their religion.
One woman protester in Egypt said her fight was for Islamic way of life, not democracy.

No one has denied that woman the right to worship her God in peace, but that religion must come first in the way her country is governed.
In Zimbabwe, we are fortunate that our democracy is not defined by religion but, by the economic aspirations of the people.

People of all Faiths have the freedom to pursue their religious convictions in peace as their democratic right. The affairs of State are not governed by any particular religious belief.

In exercising their democratic rights, Zimbabweans, are free to pursue their economic rights, governed by the Constitution whose provisions shall be implemented by the Government of their choice. But, in exercising their democratic rights, Zimbabwe shall take responsibility for the proper functioning of this democracy through obeying all laws enshrined in the Constitution and Acts of Parliament.

The major responsibility of the people is to pay taxes levied by government. One EU country was accused by the IMF of exercising pseudo democracy by the rich, failing to paying their taxes and hiding their wealth in other tax havens. What kind of democracy is this, where the rich do not honour their obligations to the state?

In Zimbabwe, the rich took advantage of the cancellation of arrears in rents and water charges by the local authorities, when the policy was meant for the poor who were struggling to meet these charges.

What should have been applied was a test to identify those that, genuinely, could not afford to pay the debts.
This blanket cancellation, which allowed those with the means to pay to get away without honouring their debts, will haunt the local authorities for years to come. Democracy must be understood as a system where every person must take responsibility for their actions for the good of the State and their local communities.

I must admit that I like the Chinese system where Parliament meets for two weeks a year to a pass some laws.
Most of the time during the year, Chinese parliamentarians are in their provinces working with the people. Being a parliamentarian is not a career but, being elected to serve the people. MPs and councillors should not regard their positions as status symbols but as oils in the engine of democracy.

The people can go far if these oils and engines are functioning well. That is what leadership in a democratic state should be.
What must be avoided by the elected representatives is to crowd the treasury with outrageous demands for various allowances before they have even warmed their seats in Parliament or other chambers.

The people are looking for solutions and they are ready to march forward in safeguarding their hard earned democratic rights.
Everybody knows that democracy does not thrive where poverty and deprivation exist hand in hand. If this is allowed to happen in Zimbabwe, it is a denial of the basic democratic system which the electorate entrusted in the elected officials.

There has been a greater focus on what the politicians could do to enhance democracy without also, having to bring in the individual factor into the equation.

Whereas the elected leaders must pronounce what is needed to be done to improve the lives of the people, it is up to the people themselves to implement what is required on the ground.

In this country, there is a lot whingeing that does not serve anybody.
Democracy demands that we give space to each other to work for the common good. In many societies, it is known as the division of labour.
Whether one is a school teacher, bricklayer, doctor, nurse, technician, farmer etc. the aim is to exercise our democratic rights to build a prosperous country that will be the envy of the world.

We cannot be proud to see our children and relatives leaving the country for the so called greener pastures, where they cannot exercise any democratic rights as non-citizens.