POLITICS AND PUBLIC PEACE

Dear Editor,

There was a period given to political parties to persuade the public to choose a particular leader and his camp. That campaign period is over. Each citizen had his/her opinion and voted accordingly. The remainder of the matter is out of the public’s hands.

The current issue with GECOM was taken to the high court where decisions were made for certain courses of action to be taken. So, why some political parties are still beating war drums under the guise of public enlightenment? Why all the crying in the media? Leaders, like responsible parents, must solve their grievances amongst themselves or go to the relevant authorities. Parents are deemed to be wicked when they incite violent confrontation between children on matters way beyond the reach of those children. Politicians can gain some wisdom from this.

Some years ago I had cause to intervene in a dispute over a little child. In a school yard there was the mother holding on to the torso and the father holding the legs of the child. They were pulling in opposite directions, fighting for total custody of the child. The child was screaming. I helped to persuade the father to release the child. The matter was eventually finalized in court and not in the streets.

Responsible political leaders, in similar fashion, must not bring their battles to the streets – for the public is not the agent to solve parliamentary and constitutional issues.
Politicians must take their battles to the courts where they can be understood and have matters resolved in peace, instead of on the streets where there is misunderstanding and peace may be breached. The former is responsible leadership while the latter is the opposite. There is some evidence of irresponsible party leadership.

Can you spare us, the public, of all the unnecessary chatter and banter about GECOM? Are we into another campaign mode? Keep the hostility over the current election issues out of the media – please! Do not get us involved again. Our work is done. Awaiting the final outcome is what really matters as we get on with our peaceful daily lives.
Further, in the face of the coronavirus, responsible leadership would insist that there are no public gatherings, whether as protesters, observers or revellers.

So, while the elephants are fighting in the valley, let us (the tiny ones) observe from the hills without getting dirtied.

Leonard Marks