By Deng Mangok Ayuel
Politics is not a game. It is an earnest business – Winston Churchill
October 27, 2013 (SSNA) — Keep liking your way of politicking, but nowhere in the world have I ever seen/heard politics being played in a clean way –people of every corner of the world thought it is a dirty game. It is just the question of how “much dirty” it is, and how can politics be a good game? Isn’t politics a means of achieving power and control over people? Politics is all what you need, be it yourself. But if you are a coward, you will remain as a gossiper, blackmailer than politicking. Are you up to your business?
Experience is the best teacher and a big lesson learned is never forgotten even in dream. No an MP shall easily write/speak to the media before assessing his/her political thoughts on the affairs of States or country after former Deputy Speaker for Northern Bahr el-Ghazal State Legislative Assembly, Hon. Athiang Manok caught voicing to the media and got impeached after the motion was raised against him in the National Legislative Assembly over his reaction on Telar’s saga for the Ministry of Justice. Did he remain a hero of his speech? Hon. Manok shouldn’t be blamed; it is already a gone case! The position is already given to another person. He lost his job as a Deputy Speaker for criticizing or defending someone. I have never been a fan to our lawmakers but there are interesting stories in the parliament at least – the struggle for power, quick mouth to media and political consortium for change. This is politics. Some people are trying harder to pull down their Honorable colleagues from their jobs as chairpersons for committees. That isn’t bad. Politics have no relation to morals and desire – others wanted to enjoy or be heard as heads of committees. When political spotlight becomes a struggle for power, everyone will learn and know where he/she is going politically, so do it safely!
Well, “there is hell”, and that shouldn’t be an issue for today – make sure what you are doing in the House of law in our State is contributing to the betterment of Mading Aweil and the entire nation. It’s quite convincing that politics is a dirty game and common people should stay away from it. But to me, politics is the first lesson we should learn and teach other people to be politically attentive and aware of our political rights in South Sudan. Politicians and politics should not be looked down upon, but understood in perspective to our own existence and relationship to them as former voters.
Today, Northern Bahr el Ghazal State Legislative Assembly has its unique political leadership. The Speaker and the Deputy Speaker are female. So we are together as family. We recognize woman’s participation and potential in political set up in the parliament. What remains is to work with them. A woman has had been ambitious to govern man; it is the right time to see female doing their best in any position.
Therefore, MPs are brothers and sisters. We didn’t make a big mess to give political opportunities to people who can hoodwink, betray and fool us by keeping us away from the active arena of politics for their own interest and the interest of those who shrewdly plant them as peoples’ champions. We elected our sons and daughters to represent us. And we need them to visit us in the villages or wherever we live because we are one.
I used to hate the ways our Mps in the State voice their political issues to Sudan Tribune online. As politics is a game – assuming it is a football game, and you didn’t play well, should you complain, blame others or yourself than strategizing for the next game to avoid squabbling?
Northern Bahr el Ghazal State Legislative Assembly has been making headlines for years. Why do our lawmakers prioritize a fight in the House than doing lucrative sessions for the welfare of our community? An MP should talk to journalists when he thinks he/she is within the law of the House and ready to stand firm when end doesn’t meet.
The public knows how easy or hard it was in 2010 election for individuals who pave ways to the parliament. The election was truly rigid. And by the way, impeachment, dismissal of MPs is not only in our State alone – it is a nationwide issue. If you go to Malakal, Upper Nile, you may find an MP buying airtime and began calling the other end to talk politics until he is stopped by electronic airtemer within the course of a long discussion on the public road!
When South Sudan became a country, almost everything becomes new – politics, houses, cars because they weren’t there during the devastated civil war in Sudan were millions of lives were lost. As new things come with many problems, it is a work of our minds to take care of ourselves and the affairs of our country. Our governor is a man of integrity, hard-working, with heart for his people. Let’s join hands with him and move forward for success.
Deng Mangok Ayuel is a South Sudanese blogger and lives in Aweil, South Sudan. He can be reached via [email protected]