The nerve which the politicians have in telling lies will never cease to amaze. Hordes of promises and none ever come to be fulfilled. They are egocentric. Wealth and self interest comes before anything else. Mr. Colman was a very successful businessman when he ventured into politics. He had a chain of retail shops and locals respected him. He was religious and always available in philanthropic activities in the area. He could be easily accessed and mingled with everyone. He was jovial and his countenance was always smiley. Mr. Colman however changed immediately he was elected to be a member of parliament representing his constituency. Little did the electorate know that the man they knew well would abruptly change! During the campaigns, Colman managed to convince the electorate that he would make all their dreams come true. Many believed him. His eloquent speech compared to none of his competitors. It is said that “During a campaign the air is full of speeches - and vice versa.” How true this is! “Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build a bridge even where there is no river,” said Nikita Khrushchev. Mr. Colman promised the electorate how he would build hospitals, improve infrastructure, create job opportunities for the youth and raise the standard of living for all. His campaign strategists did not have a lot of work to do because his track record was impressive to many. They indeed were the main beneficiaries of the handouts Mr. Colman was giving for his campaign. After the election results were announced and Mr. Colman declared the winner, everyone knew that a time for change had really come. There was high expectation in the whole constituency. There was jubilation in every corner of the constituency as people rejoiced for the coming of their liberator. “Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy.” Someone once said. Colman shifted almost immediately from where he lived in his constituency to the city. His constituents saw the last of him when he slaughtered five cows to thank them for electing him into the parliament. He lives luxuriously in the city. The now honourable Colman can not be easily accessed. Unlike the past, very few people can manage to see him. If you are lucky enough, this has to be done through booking first with his secretary for an appointment. It is very difficult to even see him physically. During day time he uses this big posh and tinted vehicle. He is literally incommunicado. When there is fundraising of some kind in his constituency, he sends his representative citing that he is busy somewhere else. Occasionally, honourable Colman is heard over the media supporting or opposing a motion in parliament. Never is he heard tabling any motion of substance that can help his constituents in parliament. “It is not in the nature of politics that the best men should be elected. The best men do not want to govern their fellowmen,” Said George E. MacDonald. Honourable Colman is now running his constituency like one of his vast businesses. Getting funds from the government for his constituency but the money at the end finds its way to his own pockets or to his relatives. No one would have imagined that things would go the way they are. Politicians are people who, when they see light at the end of the tunnel, go out and buy some more tunnels. All the hope which those who elected honourable Colman had has now diminished. Things remain the same as they used to be before electing him. A mathematician analyzed politics as [Poly “many” + tics “ticks” = blood-sucking parasites]“Democracy is when the indigent, and not the men of property, are the rulers.” said Aristotle. Honourable Colman proves this to be true and as strange as it may sound, the honourable will be coming again to seek votes for re-election! “Politicians are interested in people. Not that this is always a virtue. Fleas are interested in dogs.” As a matter of life and death, the electorate has the sole mandate of voting in the right person. This is for the sake of the future and for the country at large. Honourable Colman and his like should never be allowed to go to the parliament. No one is perfect yes but as Aristotle said “We must as second best...take the least of the evils.” skangongoi@yahoo.com
