The entire leadership of this country, in all its diversity, all parties, ought to convene & draw fair play rules for the forthcoming general election or well be driven to chaos. True patriots take initiatives. Already, foul play allegations are abound, about suspected irregular elections conduct & post elections scenarios. Remember, its got to be a FREE & FAIR election for us to retain our hitherto fantastic rating. Passions have gone out of control. Theres need for real patriotism now, in the form of pre-election national bridge building, information sharing & pledges for rules adherence. If our leaders cannot eliminate the current climate of fear, suspicion, paranoia and distrust of our institutions of governance & electioneering, whatever the outcome, or during the elections themselves, we might experience darker days/months or years yonder. Patriotism calls for selflessness & truly putting Botswana first. We can do that by working together to ensure the right atmosphere exists for trust & confidence in the elections outcome, safety of voters, observance of rules of play & most importantly, acceptance of the results. As said, true patriots initiate dialogue, accept theyre not perfect, address perceptions, real or imagined, & must be seen to be less self-righteous and more selflessly committed to genuine democracy, freedom & justice. All contesting parties & intermediaries of astute credentials such as NGOs & churches must see themselves as the core leadership that can avert unrest in our country. Lets stop defining patriotism, and start practicing it by showing once again that theres unity in pluralism; unity in diversity. Last advice to all political leaders: dignity, decorum, tolerance, maturity & humility have been key features of our democratic tradition. Lately, most of u have been very much lacking in these attributes. Respect the intelligence of the voter & the nation at large.
Posted on: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 22:27:03 +0000
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