This Expensive Democracy: Or is it?

This week I want to briefly touch on two issues that speak to debates on whether our democracy or any practice of democracy elsewhere is or should be expensive to both aspirant leaders and citizens. I will reflect on the cost of our democracy as in the fees that aspiring members of parliament and councillors have to pay to firstly their political parties as registration for consideration in the primary elections. I will then proceed on the possible cost to citizens with respect to issues around the implementation of the new Local Government Act as passed last year. These are obviously two somewhat unrelated issues but I simply try to use them as a reflection on what our democracy practices mean if there is any justification for the seemingly high cost from the two practices.
We have now witnessed the first of the anticipated primary elections as our main political parties position themselves for the 2014 general elections. The ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), has gone through both the branch and central committee vetting processes and the list of those who have passed the vetting process is out and one would imagine that inner party campaigns are gaining momentum. The nation still awaits the process to unfold and take shape for the Umbrella for Democratic Change partners (Botswana National Front (BNF), Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) and Botswana Peoples Party (BPP) as well as the Botswana Congress Party (BCP). It is reported that the BDP registration fees were hiked this time around and the figures been spoken of have triggered some concerns among sections of our society who are convinced this figures disenfranchise those seemingly “able” leaders who may not have the financial requirements to register. I must add here that from the opposite argument are those who contend that these figures are in line with ensuring firstly that only those who take representation seriously will contest and secondly that it may, and I repeat may, weed off potential dangers for our democracy by ensuring that we only get people who are not necessarily seeking political office for personal gain.
It is indeed debatable as to whether the aura and inherent capabilities to lead and/or represent citizens is necessarily very suspect amongst the less “monied” and by implication probably a suspected feature amongst those with the monetary power. Equally debatable is whether or not monetary power has any direct correlation with good democratic practice tendencies or if indeed we should demand as a nation that aspiring political leaders should have certain minimum standards as their wealth base to seemingly convinces us that they will not use their political power for self-enrichment. It is very clear that there is convergence of thought as to whether our democracy is costly or not. The first group will argue that it is costly but only to those with fewer resources to afford the set fees by different political parties, whilst the second group will indeed say it is costly and like in all countries, democracy was never meant or presented itself as a less costly exercise.
I will not dwell on the other factors that we may have to consider if we want to argue as to whether democracy should be expensive or not, especially to those who aspire to contend for political office at any level. I will however just in passing mention that in the so-called developed democracy standing for political office comes with very intense and focused scrutiny of the aspirants’ economic status and indeed some even lay bare candidates’ personal lives, which often includes one’s youthful years. So costly is democracy at a general level that it may be so not only in monetary terms but economically and socially (assuming we can separate these from monetary values).
Second consideration is with respect to the cost of “democratic practices” to citizens when legislative organs of government at any level become paralysed because of calls “democratic practices” , especially when there are different positions of principle visa a vie an existing legal instrument that is also hardly two years in practice. Let’s refresh our minds and recall the processes that government, in particular the Ministry of Local Government, went through to consult both the nation and significantly the local authorities in this country. I for one had the view that maybe that consultation was not what it needed to be but despite that our District, City and Town Councils finally endorsed the new Local Government Act as proposed. Amongst the major changes was a shift from simple majority to a two thirds requirement to change certain situations in the councils. The recent debacle at the Gaborone City Council where councillors argued on principle that the crossing over of an opposition councillor to the ruling party and the effect of such as shifting the majority must be followed by the Mayor relinquishing his position to allow the party in the majority to take over must have been an eye opener for some.
Firstly, the consultation processes was to check among other things whether the intent of the proposed law conflicts or goes against any established principles that as a nation we hold in utmost reverence. It was an opportunity for the political leadership, especially at local government level to assess the implications of the new act on our democratic practices, particularly at their operational level. The new two thirds requirements has seemingly legally closed what others consider a desired democratic principle of letting the numbers speak up. As a result the City Council simply got paralysed as councillors of the BDP walked out on “principle”, despite agreeing with the intent and interpretation of the new Act, as justifiable perhaps, used by the current Mayor. We here murmurs that the oncoming Full Council may also be a non-event as the walk offs are likely to continue. The implication is that some political decision making by councillors will not be made and the assumption is that these are issues that matter to the delivery of services to the citizens. If that is the case then at what cost to the citizen are the in the short and long term impacts of these walk offs? You make the call on that one.