Mass action: Cord could rush headlong into a Jubilee snare

The Opposition is considering its options after losing the Senate vote on the amendments to the election laws that were pushed through by the governing Jubilee alliance.

Leaders from the Cord coalition had indicated during and after the duels in the National Assembly and the Senate that they would resort to street demonstrations if Jubilee employed its infamous ‘tyranny of numbers’ to unilaterally trash laws that were the product of a negotiated settlement.

Picketing is a legitimate means of expression and lobbying as recognised in the progressive Constitution of Kenya.

The Opposition has the inalienable right to the take its grievances to the streets and to the people in an effort to ensure that the democratic society is not subverted by a dictatorial and oppressive regime.

The people must not succumb to tyranny of numbers as democracy is not just about numbers but also about protecting democracy.

We must never forget, after all, that some of the most dreadful tyrants and dictators in history rode to power by exploiting democratic institutions.

Adolf Hitler provides a good example.

It is, therefore, incumbent upon Kenyans to stand up in resistance to any forces that might threaten a very hard-won democracy as no majority in Parliament has the authority to legislate in favour of dictatorship or electoral theft.

However, this sacred principle must not be exploited merely as a political tool every time.

JUBILEE TRAP

People power can be effective but must not be the only response each time a campaign is lost in Parliament, the courts or through a democratic process.

Cord must carefully think through what it wants to achieve beyond the base objective of wading into a political fistfight.

Whereas Jubilee acted undemocratically and in bad faith, the amendments to the electoral laws were not as fatal or dangerous as is being made out.

Nobody, after all, would deny that there is a need for a back-up to the electronic voter database and identification system and the election results transmission system.

It is also evident that the contentious amendments did not specify that the back-up would be manual — which has been the cause of suspicion.

This leaves the door open for the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission to put in place the back-up system that will satisfy all stakeholders, including Cord.

The Opposition still also has the option of going to court if it genuinely feels that the amendments were unconstitutional; but hopefully not with the rider that an unfavourable ruling will spur street protests.

Democracy and the rule of law cannot be held hostage in such fashion.

What Cord right now needs to recognise is that it might be falling into a carefully laid Jubilee trap.

One can see a situation where Jubilee strategists introduced completely unnecessary amendments that were bound to provoke Cord.

They knew that Opposition chief Raila Odinga’s default reaction is to take to the streets.

That is why the Jubilee propaganda mill has already gone into overdrive depicting Mr Odinga as a perennial trouble maker who will never accept defeat in a democratic contest and will always resort to street protests and violence.

MASS ACTION

Propaganda is flowing fast and furious to the effect that Mr Odinga is trying to engineer bloodshed ahead of and after the August 8 General Election so that he can benefit from a mediated peace and again get himself installed as prime minister.
If this scenario holds, it follows that Jubilee will happily infiltrate Cord demonstrations and light fires that will lend credence to the narrative.

This is the time for Cord to realise that you do not always fight fire with fire. Quite often, water is the better option.

One would also consider that the battle for the hearts and minds of Kenyans cannot be fought only on the streets, especially when there is a high likelihood of violence.

And let us also not forget that while Kenyans are distracted by the electoral laws issue, the Jubilee machinery of President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto is pushing through other measures — the war against civil society, media and other independent voices — that reveals its anti-democratic roots.

That is why the Nyaro-era demagoguery against “disgruntled elements”, “enemies of development” and those “in the pay of foreign masters” is making a comeback.

Email: [email protected] Twitter: @MachariaGaitho