Do away with constituencies to end tribal politics

By Wangari Maathai

This country is threatened. And it is not because we have an unbearable Constitution or electoral boundaries. It is because we as citizens and micro-nations whose political, economic needs and interests are not being protected by the current Constitution and the electoral boundaries. That is why we are clamouring for a new political order.

Our politicians govern the country by mutilating and manipulating the Constitution and electoral boundaries as well as playing divisive tribal politics.

But every so often, we go through a ritual to collect and collate views from citizens even though we know eventually the constitution and electoral boundaries will have to be agreed on by tribal chiefs.

If politicians do not get the constitution or the electoral boundaries they want, they advise their ethnic communities to reject the document.

Unfortunately, we are doing the current exercise in the middle of long-standing deep ethnic divisions, suspicion and hatred. The post-election violence and the hovering ICC make the environment unfriendly. We are craving for a leadership that can provide security, equity and justice.

Some countries have created constitutions and electoral boundaries that have been protected from the greed and selfishness of politicians. Strong institutions have been put in place to prevent manipulation or mutilation of the constitution or gerrymandering the electoral boundaries.

The constitution of the US was crafted by leaders of vision. It has served them for more than 200 years.

The documents that will be crafted are not the problem. If there were selfless, committed and visionary leaders, they would have been improving on the independence constitution. Instead, the Constitution and electoral boundaries have been treated as a means to power and privilege. Therefore, they are constantly re-written to meet new aspirations, greed and selfishness.

What Kenyans have experienced is bad governance, ethnic-based politics, tribal clashes, massacres, gender violence, poverty, economic stagnation and impunity.

Legislators should compete along political party lines and parties should be forced to seek support on the basis of their agendas, not tribal affiliation. The number of MPs should reflect the capacity of the country so that MPs do not overburden citizens with taxes and debts. The party that will have the most number of MPs should form the Government and provide a Prime Minister.

Electoral commission

This will make every vote count and parties will work hard to ensure they get as many votes as they can from every part of the country. This would serve the principles of one man, one vote, and no taxes without representation. Every vote will be important to the party rather than to an individual MP.

To make representation fair and just, an independent electoral commission should look into other relevant issues such as geography, density and special needs. The number of MPs should be fixed. Parliament has already approved that constituency boundaries serve as administrative boundaries (districts) and be centres of local authorities for the devolved government. What is important here is to empower these local authorities, community leaders and interest groups by having their roles clearly defined and protected from interference. That way, they would be able to manage the day-to-day responsibility of the devolved government. The devolved government should create boundaries, guided by their capacities and resources.

Kenyans have clearly said they want to elect their President. The President should be sponsored by a political party, and like MPs, his constituency should be the Republic. Kenyans also want presidential powers devolved and to have a president who is popular and able to unite the country. The President should get 50 per cent plus one vote to be declared winner.

To eliminate transportation of votes or double voting, voters should be able to vote from any polling station as long as they have the necessary voting documents. This would also make gerrymandering of electoral boundaries an exercise in futility.

It is important to empower the three arms of Government by clearly defining their roles so there is clear balancing of power and responsibilities, and capacity to ensure they do not interfere with other organs of governance.

Eliminating electoral constituencies for MPs would put an end to tribal power bases (and warlords). Eliminating constituencies has the potential of detribalising politics and giving every vote the same respect and power.

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In case you missed out on the sex boycott in Kenya

Boycott exposed our love for cheap sex

By Mundia Mundia Jnr

As an ordinary man, and with other Kenyan men of goodwill, I heartily celebrate the success of the GIO inspired seven-day sex ‘fast’.

Like a genius ideologue, the G1O consortium etched their message and demands deep into the bones of our hearts even as many Kenyans, especially men, remained captive to a corrupt, ravenous elite. This time round Kenyan women challenged us to think sober and use our brains and hearts and not our biological weapons (of mass destruction).

Unfortunately the selfish G10 affirmative tableau only exposes partisan greed on the part of these attention seeking testosterone-savvy lobbyists.

Why not, together with the help of men, boycott sex together so that the principals could sit down and talk!

Kenyan women would never go far while intentionally excluding men in core national engagements. May be this is why Kenyan men tend to neglect women’s activities due to this eostrogen-laced mono-activism. National politics cannot be driven by sectarian agenda.

Surprisingly, men thought that women were talking about ‘real sex’ yet theirs was a symbolic gesture. Women simply wanted men to improve their currently blighted political and governance infrastructure to bring back peace, unity and development to the country.

From stockbrokers, lawyers, doctors to mechanics, hawkers and odd priests, those married and the upper and middle class begged leave from marital and parental responsibilities to ‘look’ for something their partner has refused to give them. They simply argued that the ‘cow had refused’.

On the other hand, many men believe that a prostitute is a loner in the streets and in the freezing cold. Such street ladies hook on men and sustain other affairs with money from married men.

Plying cheap drinks as one contemplates renting a woman’s body and being turned on by sleaze only appears to boost a damaged ego.

Such misogynists selfishly reinforce their view that all women are cheap, making them crave commitment-free escapades. Later an addiction develops while continuing to create a thrill for illicit sex.

False promise of thrill

The following may be the reasons why many men were opposed to the GIO sex-boycott call.

First, elite patriarchy had a major hand in the male-dominated opposition for the boycott. Second, many men love and worship prostitutes. They use them with no emotional attachment and while avoiding all the intimacy of an organised relationship. The male’s conspiracy of silence and secrecy makes them believe that it is a symbol of an independent spirit with a tendency to control and possess. This makes such men avoid all demands and expectation, which only reflects feelings of inadequacy.

Unfortunately, successful, good-looking, respected men that live with gorgeous wives fall victim of this fantasy thrill to pay for sex.

Excuses are made when men are caught by wives. Due to misconceptions, peer pressure or simple curiosity, men go out there to express their rebellion and indulge in beastly out–of–this–planet sex. Calling the addiction to prostitutes a one-off experience does not clean the tear stains off the marriage bed.

This habitual and cheap act that does not need tuition is only a short-time craze for excitement with plenty of risks for the entire life.

Certainly, the afterglow that comes from having sex with someone you love is the best experience ever. Its holiness makes one touch the skies with a tear that defines love in our hearts. If men ever knew that women had a beautiful and sexy brain they would desert Koinange Street and be part of the seven day sex-boycott.

They would move away from the street to their marital beds and be with their wives while agitating for real power sharing, reforms and good leadership, in their homes and in government.

The GIO consortium should return, not for a boycott, but to reward reformists with a seven-day sex recipe. It appears men need to be touched, hugged, kissed and be fed on sex. Talk of teaching the birds aviation lessons.

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Kenya mob burns 15 women to death over witchcraft

NYAKEO, Kenya (AFP) — A rampaging mob in western Kenya burnt 15 women accused of witchcraft to death, a local official and villagers told AFP Wednesday.

"This is unacceptable. People must not take the law into their own hands simply because they suspected someone," said Mwangi Ngunyi, the head of Nyamaiya district. "We will hunt the suspects down," he added.

The Effect of $100 Oil Price on African Economies

By Esi Ejumabone

During the past week, the price of crude oil eventually and finally reached the $100 record mark per barrel thanks to the unrest in Nigeria's Niger Delta, the locked production in Iraq, surging demand in growing Asian economiesand the cold winter months. This forebodes many things for different groups. Ordinarily, when the price of any commodity goes up, it means good news for the seller or producer.

African nations make up 6 of the 23 top oil-producing countries and this ought to mean good news for these African nations. These nations would be awash with cash, never mind that the oil companies too would also go away with large profits. The windfall these nations would experience could not have been dreamt possible some 5 years ago. The question is what does this translate to for the African nations and by extension the people of Africa?

Nigeria, Angola, Gabon, Libya, Egypt, Algeria - to a lesser extent Cameroon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Tunisia and Cote d’Ivoire - all have significant production and income generation from the sale of crude oil and natural gas. Nothing stops these countries from deploying the windfall into laying a solid foundation and investment in infrastructure. The UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar -not to mention the oil rich Saudi Arabia- are but few examples of what a purposeful government can do with accumulated wealth- transform the landscape and by extension the living conditions of your people.

Africans for decades have complained of poor development and blamed poverty and thin financial capacity as the excuse for not being able to grow their economies, but with this unprecedented gold-mine in high oil prices, one wonders why there is yet so much despair and so little progress being seen in changing the fortunes of the African people. At least, for a start, let these nations set the example for the rest of Africa to follow.

Corruption and blatant mismanagement of resources has been a recurring malaise in most African nations. Governments and politicians sit tight and amass the wealth meant for the people and instead of building the social infrastructure that will galvanise growth and generate employment opportunities to the average person, they feather their own nests, and steal stupendous mind bogging sums.

The high technology dependent world of oil business makes it difficult for the small scale investor to be a player in the business. Big multinationals and government corporations like the NNPC, are the ones that can provide the financial muscle and skill to play in this big game.

In Nigeria, insecurity and unrest in the Niger Delta has become the natural fall out, as the local communities allege years of neglect while bearing the brunt of social and environmental degradation occasioned by the activities of exploring and drilling for crude oil. Corporate Social Responsibility and partnering with the communities are attempts being made to douse the angst and raging insecurity in the region. These efforts have been described as too little too late.
African governments have to formulate policies and muster the discipline to execute programmes that will develop the continent, provide adequate infrastructure including education and health care to the suffering people that have become victims of this blessing turned curse.

Oil being a depleting resource needs significant investment to ensure new reserves are found and developed. The IOCs are therefore not in this for charity. They also have to compete among themselves and ensure they keep their shareholders happy. It behoves on these lucky African governments to ensure that revenues including taxes and royalties, they generate in these auspicious times, are judiciously deployed in the best interest of the people.

Overdependence on oil, as a mono-cultural economy, is a bane of most of these African economies.
There should be an effort to diversify away from oil to other sectors where the ordinary medium scale business person can participate, such as in local home-grown industries and the services sector.

KLM

source: http://www.anjnews.com/?q=node/419