Who is to blame, EC or government?

The issue about changing the EC (Electoral Commission) officials is not new in African countries. Just like in Uganda, Kenyans are also demanding for a change of EC officials, but the real question is, is it the officials who are to blame or is it the electorate and the government at large. These officials are not strangers to us. They are our brothers, fathers or mothers. They are people we love, trust, respect and even, inevitably love to hate.
The people we want to replace them with are also amidst us and it is not a guarantee that they are not going to be corrupt like their predecessors, if not more. The Bible tells us some evils are inherent, and we all know that one rotten potato spoils the rest in the sack, and better the devil you know than the angel you don’t know.
Also, it is important to note that it is becoming an African phenomenon to complain, refuse and protest against the system if the opposition losses. If you look at countries like Zimbabwe, Uganda, and Kenya they have one thing in common: dissatisfaction of election results. As much as there might be irregularities in the electoral system, the leaders and their supporters should accept that this is a weakness in African countries. Instead of fighting or causing chaos, they should unite and come up with a solution to the problem. After all, even if the opposition was to win in an election, members of the ruling party would also complain about the same irregularities, existent or not. It is for this reason that the notion of a peaceful nation will be nought but a myth in African countries.
Why can’t our African leaders buy the American example? In America, the elections were fair, with no race conflict, corruption or bias. When Barrack Obama won the election, his opponent, John McCain conceded defeat, congratulated him and encouraged his supporters to embrace Obama as their new president.
The government is charged with the responsibility of minimizing or totally ridding the irregularities in the EC. Once there is a weakness in the EC or if the society is dissatisfied with an election outcome, this exposes the weakness of a government, and not exactly the EC. When there is war, disagreement or discrimination in a nation, all the blame is always pointed to the government. For it is the role of the government to protect and unite its people, and a government that does not honour this shows a loophole in its system. Instead of changing the EC, we should change the government.
Susan Wamuyu.