The ideals and yearning for a Clean and Fair election is not a new phenomenon. However, the assumption that an accountable, clean, fair, and transparent process are inherently rooted and naturally existing in praxis within an electoral system itself endangers and belies the very rationale and intent of a democratic election. After all, the act of electing by itself is not an end; rather, at best it represents a means towards enabling possibilities for democratic values and principles to become a living experience of a people. Therefore, it is for the people themselves to creatively explore and ensure that the very process of election itself is grounded in the expressions of what constitutes democracy from within their worldviews and realities.
The tendency of the modern State to use the western system of election as a yardstick to measure stability, progress and democracy has been problematic. This has in particular been the case in third and fourth world nations where elections have been consistently used as a form of intervention in societies that are fragile, in conflict, or recovering from conflict. From this point of view, elections are perceived, applied and imposed as a mechanical procedure of State authority, instead of being nurtured as an organic process that reflects and embraces the aspirations of peoples. Invariably, elections in such situations are reduced to state-building, which seeks to manufacture state-legitimacy. Consequently, such elections are devoid of values and practices that are required to enable a system of governance that reflects the idea of power-with the people.
From this perspective, the idea of Clean and Fair election as a sustained peoples’ campaign need to be perceived from the context in which the election is being applied. Any peoples’ initiative for a free and fair election is an anti-thesis to an election that is applied as nothing more than a form of intervention and a procedure to establish State authority. Hence, a campaign for Clean and Fair election is not limited to a demand that calls for a process that is free from violence, corruption, money and muscle power, and all the other vices that prevent meaningful expressions of democratic participation. In its fullest sense, the underlying idea of a Clean and Fair election is standing up to the prevailing culture of impunity and the arrogance of power that is being perpetuated by the powers that be.
The Nagaland Baptist Church Council’s initiative for “Clean Election Campaign” that is aimed to “bringing a positive change in our society” and “for the welfare of the people and the coming generations … who hope for a better tomorrow,” needs to be supported and strengthened. Not only does it imply resisting against unfair and illegal electioneering practices, it represents a step towards challenging a vicious cycle of impunity and wanton use of power that has come to reflect elections in Nagaland state. While, there must be room to constructively question the NBCC on whether it has made the most effective use of the Clean Election Campaign, for now, the focus for the next few days needs to be on consolidating and strengthening the practical steps towards ensuring clean election on February 23.
Eventually, the Clean Election Campaign needs to go beyond this present election, and work towards addressing the broader issues of justice, democracy, education, poverty and equal rights for men and women, all of which are central to a Clean Election Campaign.
