Saturday, August 23, 2008 Carvajal: Preparing for 2010 By Orlando P. Carvajal Break Point
Fr. Melo Diola of Dilaab recently wrote people to ask for their thoughts on his position paper on the 2010 elections. I promised him a response and I thought I’d write it here as a way also of endorsing Dilaab’s admirably patriotic move to accomplish something positive in 2010.
We cannot move this country forward if we only analyzed its ills and criticized those who abet them. We cannot move this country forward either by simply disagreeing with the violent methods of the left (armed struggle) and the right (coup d’ etat). Concerned citizens need to come up with positive moves to deliver ourselves from bad governance.
If we cannot reason our way into justifying the use of violence to achieve justice and peace, then we have to work with the system. Working with the system basically means electing the right people into critical positions of influence. Even people like me who believe in structural changes have to start by working to put in power people who at least would be open to those changes.
In short, we can rally under the idea that we need the right kind of people to man whatever system we eventually end up with. This is least debatable and most unifying. We cannot wait forever to agree on what kind of system changes should be put in place. We have to act now and acting now means getting our act together to put the right people into office.
I cannot endorse enough the urgency that Fr. Melo has put into this either. -Indeed, we must not get flatfooted and be left blaming one another should elections in 2010 turn out to be another travesty of justice. We should start preparing as early as now considering that traditional politicians who aspire for elective posts in 2010 are already deep into their remote preparations.
That leaves us with the more critical question Fr. Melo posed in the letter. What are the basic qualities of the people we should work to get elected in 2010? Here are some thoughts for starters.
For executives on all levels, the number one qualification should be moral probity that is unquestioned in the community. If he has that quality then he should run on a platform that at its core would eradicate corruption and inefficiency in the bureaucracy. This is most basic in good governance.
For legislative positions, the moral candidate should run on a platform to abolish the pork barrel and to sponsor and support an enabling law for the constitutional ban on family political dynasties. Both perpetuate undesirables in office with stolen people’s money.
Finally, we must not forget to come up with more effective measures to prevent vote-buying, cheating and over-spending this coming election and beyond so we can level the playing field for our adopted candidates.
