It could be Nurul Nuha or other viable candidates in any of the contentious constituencies in the next general election. The candidate contesting against an errant incumbent lawmaker could in all probability win hands down.
In a democracy, a politician owes so much to those who have voted him in. A politician who fails to lend his ears to the voice of the people and even the party he belongs to could be unforgivably cast off. Being a politician is not one’s birth right. The moment he incurs the wrath of the people or party, it’s time for him to look for a quick trail out.
Deluding the voters and letting down the hope of the party is not a promising premonition in politics. The sign foretells that he would be booted out from his seat in any future political contest. If a lawmaker thinks otherwise - after betraying the party and voters - he should then have the decorum to go back to the people to get a fresh mandate to crown himself back as the rightful choice of the voters.
A number of politicians left the party they were affiliated with after winning the 2008 General Election. After the much touted split-up divulged by party insiders and the media, some of these politicians chose to become friendly lawmakers to other political entities, a few became independents and some others decided to join or form new political parties. The much hyped and unanticipated drift also involved politicians who failed to win any seat in that general election. Other than this delinquent sort, there were lawmakers who shirked their duties by not attending state assembly and parliamentary sessions regularly - in some cases, deliberately absenting themselves consecutively from these esteemed halls. When reproached by party leaders some took the harsh approach of leaving the party.
The problem even goes beyond this parameter, as some lawmakers had not served or attended to the wishes of the people in their constituencies. These politicians have even been perceived as being feckless by the voters. Little do they realise that as taxpayers, the people who had voted them in have all the rights to query about them on their misdemeanour.
Voters’ perception
Some sketchy and anecdotal evidence tells us that all seats won by those lawmakers who had decided to hop or leave party after the 2008 general election would be swept clean by those contesting against them in the next general election. Apparently, the general perception on the grounds is that none of those who jumped or left the party would even want to contest again in any election knowing pretty well that they would not get the support of the voters.
In other words, the next general election should see these lawmakers and those who have exhibited a lackadaisical attitude in performing their duty as people’s representative would be left with an empty plate on their table. Nonetheless, there are some politicians among them who have a faint hope that the people would still vote for them if they were to contest in the next general election.
An online open-ended survey and Face-book responses showed a significant number of voters in those affected constituencies putting across some noteworthy analysis of these lawmakers. Over 93 percent of those who responded to the survey had inauspicious opinions about these lawmakers. Less than 5 percent were willing to condone their conduct. The others preferred to be neutral.
Earning the wrath of the people
Those respondents not in favour of these politicians had many insalubrious things to say. These are but a few selected remarks from the respondents:
“We see that some of these lawmakers left taking a lot of baggage with them. They left with not only physical but psychological baggage and they are now seeking help from sympathisers outside their former party. Some before this could not get along with their party leaders. Some others wanted too much reward for being chosen as representatives and when they could not obtain this favour they jilted the party. They have no choice but to jump or become friendly to the ruling party. It’s a short-term help for the ruling party. Their political career is over and they would most likely not contest in any election in the future. No sane voter would vote for them anymore.”
“Take on those who have shirked their duty as lawmakers. Take on those who have jumped party in any election. Whoever contests against them would win hands down. No voters should condone lawmakers who have not been responsible to the party or voters. They have embittered the party, voters and the taxpayers. They don’t deserve a second chance.”
“Lawmakers who left the party after winning electoral seats under their party’s tag in 2008 would soon be left with nothing on the plate. Their political shelf life is coming to an end soon. Their future in politics is a foregone conclusion. The sentiment on the grounds is that if they were to contest again in any election, none would be able to make it. There is an ongoing parley now that almost all the seats held by these candidates would be contested by earnest candidates to ensure the demise of these turncoats.”
“State assemblymen or members of parliament are supposedly the lawmakers and when they deceive the very people who voted them in, they are in spirit lawbreakers. They are, by virtue of being the people’s representatives, required to attend state assembly or parliamentary sessions. If they fail to do so, they should renounce their status as lawmakers.”
“No political parties should stoop too low as to support these not-up-to-scratch lawmakers. To condone the spineless and spiritless conduct of these lawmakers is tantamount to cheap politicking. A lawmaker who neglects his duty but has the air to take matters to the court instead of owning up to his shortcomings is cowardice. Hiding behind the skirt of the Election Commission (EC) or the Court only manifests a lily-livered move by these politicians.”
“The basic duty of a state assemblyman or a member of parliament is to serve the people, the party he represents and also duly respect the state assembly house or the parliament. If he fails in his duty to do so he is not spot on to be in his position as an
elected representative in those esteemed halls. By dodging responsibility, as an elected representative he has ripped-off the people and taxpayers’ money has been wasted on him. This is immoral.”
Of disservice to the voters
“These are immature politicians who have deliberately ridden on the voters but to serve their own interests. They should not be given a second chance. They should immediately resign and leave politics, as they have conducted irresponsibly to the people who have expected so much from them. They are, in actuality, of disservice to the voters who have elected them.”
“Their despicable conduct would irrefutably incur the anger of the voters. No matter what excuses they come up with, and even if backed by some politicians they would not be re-elected by the people in future elections. They themselves are aware of the symptoms they are having now and history has shown that those recalcitrant lawmakers who derelict their duties and jump or leave party while serving could never be re-elected by the people even when they contest under a different political streamer.”
“Any assemblyman who has wriggled out of his or her duty as a representative of the people by not attending state assembly or parliamentary sessions for long should be ashamed of their behaviour and without further ado quit as people’s representative. They could never be the people’s choice anymore. This is a fact that they themselves are aware of. It is therefore discomfit for these people to stay on as lawmakers.”
“If those concerned have any sense of honour they should resign willingly and let others contest the seats and represent the people or the party they want to be affiliated with.”
“A few lawmakers have earned the wrath of the people for doing so and yet the law seems to be on their side and they cannot even be reprimanded by the state assembly speakers. Despite going to the court to be reinstated as lawmakers after shirking their responsibilities to the people, they have not changed their spots. They are still behaving the same, and are being wryly blessed by some inane political parties that favour their conduct. The taxpayers are taken for a ride by these unscrupulous politicians.”
Some savoury words for them
On the contrary those respondents who favoured these politicians’ conduct, or those who stayed neutral, had some savoury words for them. These are but some of their remarks:
“The people voted them in and not the party. They have the right not to quit and they have all the rights to recontest the seats.”
“It’s a democracy. They can decide what’s best for them. Hope the voters can forgive and give them another chance. Or else their political career is doomed forever.”
“It’s a good move to weaken the opposition. That is to our advantage. They would never become our candidates in the next general election. It’s just impossible.”
They could still chance their luck
Suffice to conclude in this survey that the voters’ resentment is now nerve racking some politicians. This should not however demoralise them. They could still chance their luck by contesting the same seats in the next general election.
History has proven that many of those who had jumped party ended their political career prematurely. In all probability, all lawmakers – state and parliamentary - that left the party they had represented in the 2008 general election would face the wrath of the voters if they were to recontest their respective seats. Lawmakers in both political divides who have been shirking their responsibilities would likewise face the anger of the electorate. Such was the perception of the respondents. Nevertheless, the voters could decide on this concern comes the next general election.
Since the law is quite lax on those lawmakers who rampantly skip state assembly and parliamentary sessions, this has not deterred politicians from becoming hoppers of convenience. There is also no law in the country that makes it illegal for lawmakers to jump or quit party after winning a seat in an election. This is further perpetuated by the media - every so often faultily justifying the conduct by claiming that the lawmakers are representing the people and not the party that put them as candidates. Let the voters become the eventual adjudicator on this blotch comes the next general election.
Be that as it may, it would only be apposite for those incumbent politicians to recontest their same seat in the coming general election - to be held anytime before March 2013 – to see if they would still be accepted by the people. Let them again face the same electorate that had voted them in and see if they would vote for them again. Failing to recontest would be a halt in their political tracks and they would be branded as political opportunists or cowards. If they do contest but fail in their attempt to win the seat they should quit politics honourably.
