The Youth Are Nobody’s Toy Soldiers in Politicking

Today is 20^th  December 2013, a month that comes after November and Malawi is remaining with exactly  five months before holding the first ever tripartite elections on 20^th May,2014. So far,  in terms of preparations, a lot  is being done on the ground.

Political parties are busy conducting primary elections in various constituencies while some areas are yet to do the same. MEC, the electoral governing body in this country is yet to open its doors for the campaign period very soon. So far, everything seems to be on the right track and the youth are behaving themselves in a very commendable fashion.

However, I would like to advise my fellow young people out there to desist from making pacts with unscrupulous politicians who use them as pawns to advance their egocentric agendas. I have observed this abnormality in the recent two general elections that were held in this country.

It is high time our politicians moved away from politics of politicking to the real art and science of governing that is aimed at developing our country. The use of violence and emotively charged words against a challenger is a tendency of candidates who have nothing to offer their constituents and the only thing they can offer is nothing but sorrow. These are politicians with no clear manifestos whose ammunition include mere rhetoric and violence.

The most heartrending thing is that even though they are fond of using violence and intimidation, they fail to do this on their own. They involve young people who are neither their children nor their close relatives. I truly believe that the reason why they do not involve their children or relatives in instigating violence and fear among the electorate and their opponents goes without saying.

Such deceitful politicians entice the otherwise innocent young people with money and alcoholic beverages. Fellow young people, there are a lot of decent ways of earning an income and advancing someone’s agenda just because he or she has bought something that will or has led to your intoxication does not sound like a clever idea. Come next year; let us show the devious and crooked politicians that the youth of Malawi know better than that! Why do politicians think that young people are expendable and yet a song that is usually on their mouths is ‘the youth are leaders of tomorrow’? The youth of Malawi are inherently peaceful people and nobody should teach them otherwise.

Dear young Malawians, taking an active part in an election means either getting registered to vote, attending political campaign rallies so that you should identify a good candidate, and even contesting for a position of your choice so long as you have the welfare of people at heart and eligible to do so.

The year 2014 is already underway and I wish all the youth in Malawi a happy festive season as we are actively and positively taking part in the electoral processes in preparation for the forth coming tripartite elections!