- Party mantra is a convenient façade behind which to hide the self-obsessed urge for easy public cash.
- But candidates who decide to run for office as independents without entering party primaries deserve encouragement.
The relentless pursuit of selfish gain that has slowly, but surely, supplanted our national spirit of hard work and resilience, is on the verge of being elevated to a terrifying new level.
Up to 5,000 politicians have chosen to run as independents in the August 9 General Election. Most, if not all, of these candidates have decamped from parties in which they have been members for years.
The moment they lost nominations, they abandoned all the high-sounding party policies they espoused for years.
The party mantra is a convenient façade behind which to hide the self-obsessed urge for easy public cash. That must be the only explicable reason they joined politics.
It is for this reason that we agree with the efforts of the IEBC to lock out candidates from running for office as independents the moment they lose party nominations.
The mad rush to join politics is definitely inspired by the millions that await the winners.
The Salaries and Remuneration Commission should think up some creative new way to cap the sums paid out to politicians to curb this dogged inclination for feeding off the public coffers.
But candidates who decide to run for office as independents without entering party primaries deserve encouragement.
Quote of the Day: “The secret to using power is not to use it. Just having it is enough.”
Jessica Alba
The American actress and businesswoman was born on April 28, 1981