Yaw Boadu Ayeboafoh: Youth in politics
A lot of water has passed under the bridge since the New Patriotic Party (NPP) went to the polls to select its potential parliamentary candidates for the 2016 general election. One point was clearly established that when we elect our members of parliament (MPs), we do not enter into any contract with them that they would be returned for another term.
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What became manifest is that when they are elected as MPs, we give them the mandate to serve us for the prescribed term, such that if we are pleased with their output, we may consider giving them another chance. We do not, however, sell our inalienable right to them to serve us for as long as they wish.
More important, it must be clear to some of the MPs that having the chance to represent the people in the name of a political party is a privilege and never a right. Thus, the idea that if one is not elected to represent the party one has to threaten to go independent means some of them do not appreciate their relationship with the parties they represent.
Equally, those who are ready to put themselves up as candidates, even if that means the party they profess to cherish will lose, can only be described as selfish, unless the party is crude as to deny them any legitimate means to contest in the name of the party.
Beyond everything, genuine democrats and party members will submit to the tenets of democracy. Indeed, those candidates who never protested before the process commenced, but were optimistic of winning, who cry foul after the results do not favour them should not be counted as democrats. This is imperative because democracy is about rules and regulations after which numbers count.
It means that they would have faith in the systems only when they get the results that they want or when the system favours them .If there are any complaints or misgivings, for instance, about the register used in voting, the objection must precede the voting, not after. But any such protest or complaint must follow the due process, not through any unilateral or violent conduct.
Some of us must learn to understand the rules of the game and be gallant losers while the victors must equally be dignified. After all, the primaries are held for members of the same political party and other contestants must not be seen as political opponents, but friends or comrades.
For as long as the political parties consider certain candidates indispensable to the cause of the parties, they would have place to serve when the party wins power, but the parties cannot and should not attempt to impose anybody on the constituents for whatever reason. That would be against the indefeasibility of the inalienable rights of the people to elect their representatives.
But in the aftermath of the NPP primaries, the most thoughtless criticism, to quote Shakespeare, the “unkindest cut of all,” has been the useless argument against the 22-year-old Francisca Oteng Mensah, who won in the Kwabre East Constituency, that she is too young and inexperienced. If Francisca is elected, she will be sworn as an MP on January 7, 2017, a few weeks to her 24th birthday.
The irony is that some of the people who have depreciated her worth as a politician are distinguishing between her and her counterpart in Britain and other parts of the globe on the spurious explanation such individuals would have gone through years of fending for themselves before entering into politics. This position reinforces another of the complexes that make some of us accommodate that uninformed saying that if one wants to seek God and one meets a Whiteman, one must be comforted.
No one is born with an experience. It is only when we are involved in something that we gain understanding of that matter, which then becomes experience. What it means is that age alone is not a factor of experience and that each facet of life has its own lessons.
The youth who have political ambitions must start early.
Thankfully, Sir Sam Jonah, one of our global icons, does not share in the uninformed criticism. His charge to intelligent and brilliant youth is that they should involve themselves actively and directly in politics and public service to turn around the fortunes of our country and continent.
The youth in politics must be reminded that they will have detractors and admirers. There will be those like Sir Sam, who will stand up to defend them. They must be guarded and guided by selflessness and the desire to serve their nation, and place the national interest above their personal interests.