When elections were conducted in 2010, the contestants promised to take their constituencies to paradise. They almost moved from house to house seeking for trust. They almost dug the foundations of the schools they promised to build.
They almost surveyed the houses they thought had fallen on the roads they had promised to construct. They assessed areas which needed bridges and promised to build them as soon as they got voted in.
Some of them went as far as suggesting names of some bridges. They showed what was needed for one to be sent to parliament. They had only one colour; white. Nobody knew that they were chameleons. They won our hearts and we voted for them.
When the results were announced, they were overjoyed, celebrating the landslide victory. Whether or not the Chief Justice told them not to visit their constituencies during the swearing in ceremony, nobody knows it to date.
Whether or not it was amended during the amendment of the constitution in 2011 that the MPs must not visit their constituencies until further notice, nobody knows it to date. Whether or not it is a hidden policy of the August House that the MPs must not visit their constituencies until the next elections are scheduled, nobody knows it to date.
We thought our area MPs went to the parliament as our representatives, little did we know they went to the parliament to represent themselves alone. But the dismay is that they are too weak to represent themselves. They eat leftovers of the other MPs who represent themselves.
They have never stood up one day in the parliament and initiated a motion to be discussed or even participate in the motion raised by another MP. None of them has ever been suggested by the appointing authority to give a ministerial position.
They are back-benchers in the parliament. They sleep from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM in the parliament as if they are suffering from African Trypanosomiasis aka sleeping sickness. All the promises evaporated in their minds because they are more concerned about what goes into their mouths than what goes to their constituencies.
The first time my area MP appeared on the SSBC TV was in 2015, after 5 good years sleeping, when a certain cattle camp was raided and more than 60 people were killed. I swear he was pushed by a distant MP. He took courage and talked to his people to remain calm as the matter got resolved by the government. Just like that.
Then he disappeared for other three good years. That’s to say, until 2018 when all MPs were motivated by the presidency and sent to their respective constituencies to disseminate the message of peace. They returned to the constituencies barehanded without feeling ashamed and they began talking to people to believe in peace.
I wish I were Angel Gabriel to tell each of them a message of death. They cited lame excuses as hindrances which are preventing them from fulfilling the promises they made.
Now that the elections are scheduled for 2024, what will they tell their constituencies to revote them in? Mind you, the glow of the SPLM’s star has greatly reduced this time. It will illuminate only a few, if not none, MPs.
The electorates are more informed this time, no more fooling, no more threatening and no more lying. There is no room for old MPs! There is no room for incompetent MPs! There is no room for incumbent MPs because they have failed to deliver services.
The author is a medical student, University of Juba.