A Prayer for Elections

Praying for peaceful elections is much like waging war to secure peace (see Iraq, Afghanistan). By their very nature elections are like min-wars. Vitriol, propaganda and insults (see Helen Zille dancing) are launched like missiles between warring political groupings. You may even find some leaders resorting to war dances (see helen Zille). In some cases, party members and supporters,their fair weather foot soldiers, take the whole idea of contesting elections to a dangerously literal level. Hit lists start emerging, competing councillors get into punch ups, ugly verbal exchanges take over at debates and intimidation become the order of the day. Cease fires are called, but hardly ever take hold. There are battle plans (see election manifestos) which give blue prints on strategies, yet are rarely based in reality. Pretty soon, the real purpose of elections are sullied and forgotten. Compare this to a real war scenario, the similarities are very evident, be it on a much smaller scale. Human rights are trampled on, election regulations and laws are shoved to one side and even the odd dead body crops up (see Andries Tatane, himself an indirect victim of political incompetence and the resulting anger thereof). There are always casualties of some kind and they are usually the voters.So, when religious leaders congregate to pray for peaceful elections, I laugh out aloud. They are usually joined by politicians (many of whom believe their parties will rule until that ever-elusive Jesus returns). They'll hold hands, close their eyes and be struck by piety. But when the reverend or Imam isn't looking, they're at each others throats. Many of these are the very same people who are quick to find faith over elections time, as they desperately employ every electioneering tactic they know to drum up support. There are parties who base their politics almost solely on religion(see the the likes of the Christian Democratic Party). While this may seem genuine and almost honourable, we all know how dangerous it can be if fundamentalism creeps into the political arena (see Iran, Afghanistan under the Taliban). So, by all means pray for peaceful elections, we need anything and everything to keep politicians in line. However, don't for a second believe sound religious principles can stand up to political opportunism and greed amid elections.