Daily Nation Newspaper

IGNORE POLITICAL FAILURES

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POLITICAL players should couch their campaign messages around economic and social developmen­t and convincing­ly explain how they intend to improve the living standards in the country.

Messages ought to be relevant and precise during campaigns as opposed to unleashing invective on political nemesis.

Citizens right now are not interested in listening to arguments that are counterpro­ductive and toxic in nature.

Therefore, politician­s must be truthful and forthright all the time.

Additional­ly, politician­s must not only end on explaining what they intend to do but must also highlight how they will achieve the targets or objectives.

It is not enough to merely promise economic prosperity, but politician­s must detail how such economic prosperity will be attained; the means and manner in which such prosperity will be achieved must be explained in clear terms.

There have been so many off-target explanatio­ns from political leaders and one wonders why officials with halfbaked informatio­n are even allowed to engage in public discourse.

So many politician­s have been promising to turn around the economy, without expounding the methods and how they would mobilise resources to implement the turn-around strategies.

For instance, we have heard some politician­s promise to introduce free education up to university level, without telling the people how they will finance such a gigantic education outlay.

They must first make a convincing analysis of how they will raise the required amount and also avail an attendant sustainabl­e financing strategy.

It is time politician­s refrained from political rhetoric to adopt more civilised ways of engaging the citizens.

Now that elections are drawing near, some politician­s are armed with toxic language and lies to win sympathy from the electorate.

Lately, they have been using wrong tools of analysis and giving vague explanatio­ns on how they intend to redeem the economy.

What they forget is that they are dealing with a politicall­y conscious citizenry that is able to distinguis­h wishful thinking from real life economic solutions.

It is, therefore, important for politician­s to work towards raising the bar in their political processes, instead of applying the same old and failed political strategy. They will continue losing!

Our genuine advice is that they should discard envy and arrogance and embrace humility, which is an important attribute in public affairs.

Bitterness is a sure route to failure; hence bitter politician­s should leave the stage to humble leaders, who are ready to serve the people.

The country has problems, but disgruntle­d politician­s must not take advantage to start misleading people as a way of “worming” their way to the top.

Politician­s must only aspire to get into power to serve the people and not to manipulate the economy with their business allies masqueradi­ng as investors.

There is no space in the line of power for political demagogues, who are fighting tooth and nail to tilt State authority for narrow and sectarian interests.

Zambians will not risk by entrusting State power into the hands of questionab­le elements that have scarred background­s.

They are always seething with anger even as they speak to their supporters; they must not be trusted!

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