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By Mzalendo Contributor - Moreen Majiwa (@mmajiwa)
A story in one of today’s papers states that Lari MP David Njuguna has advised IDPs not to vote in the 2012 election unless the government settles them by Christmas. According to the article, he said the government was only concerned about the welfare of politicians. The MP said the IDPs are living under harsh conditions while others are yet to come to terms with the loss of their beloved ones lost during the post election violence. He added that the IDPs are also starving because of the high cost of living, "These people are suffering and starving and living in deplorable conditions with their children. Education for their children is also at stake.”’
While I do agree with the fact that government is wrong in its failure to resettle the IDPs almost four years on, and that IDPs suffer disproportionately because of the governments failure, I disagree with proposal that the IDPs should demonstrate their disapproval of the government’s failure to resettle them by not voting in the upcoming election. In fact I think their vote is the strongest participatory tool that the IDPs have, so far protests, and lobby groups, though they have done an admirable job, seem to have had little effect with regards to resettlement. With their vote IDPs can signal their disapproval of the fact that government has done little to resettle them.
If the IDPs do give up their right to vote in the 2012 election, how else will they hold their parliamentary representatives accountable, how else will they signal their desire for change?
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