A battle royale, almost akin to that between Lucifer and God in Heaven, is likely in the nation of Demons, also called Asara. Lucifer, one of the highest Angels in Heaven, according to Church history, wanted to supplant God and plant himself as the one and only Supreme Being. But he was roundly defeated in the supremacy war and sent crashing down to earth. In Asara, some ambitious demons are plotting to shove aside the leader in a regime change.
People call them The Demons or more appropriately Dare-Devil Power Grabbers. Their problem is that some previously were members of the Leader’s kitchen cabinet, some top executives of the main opposition party who quit for one grievance or another. Others had been regional governors whose tenures ran out many years ago but who still angle for political relevance. All the change-the- leader howlers want to be the leader themselves. But the Constitution allows a political party to field only one candidate in the election. Will, for instance, the Ruffian demon step down for Ati or Kwan for Chi? Or Pita for Ruffian? Parties often break up at this critical point of choosing a flag bearer. If the rebel devils can navigate this dangerous bend they will have succeeded where many have met their Waterloo. Problem number two, the Demons have been unable to form a new party of their own, even with still three two years to the next election. They have instead opted to coalesce into an existing opposition party, Attack, Defend and Conquer [ADC]. But the party says there will be no special treatment for newcomers. And by the way, they already have their own candidate for the main position in the election. Will the rebels stay in and play second fiddle or get a move on again, ask me. I don’t know, but let me hazard a guess: since they are constant movers, the rolling stone will surely roll again elsewhere.
This inability to get a platform of their own suggests one thing: a desperation for power which thwarts deep thinking about the key steps to take to be able to grab power. One is forming a mass party. This is a sine qua non in a working mass democracy. This is made amply clear by Geoffrey Barraclough in his book “An Introduction to Contemporary History”, under the topic “From Individualism to Mass Democracy”. He states that political organization is a feature of the mass society that emerged from the 19th Century Industrial Revolution. This new form of organization is characterized by (1) “a mass membership or a wide popular base, (2) permanence or continuity, (3) enforcement of party discipline and (4) “control of policy by party members instead of by a small influential clique in or about the government.” But in the nation of Demons, political parties fail to meet this standard. Firstly, they lack permanence; parties come and go with elections. Of the 97 or so parties that were registered in 1989, more than 90% have died. Secondly, party discipline isn’t enforced. This is why politicians jump parties as and when they like and the new parties they cross over to are only too ready to welcome their “new converts”. In Asara, all those opposed to the Leader are “decampees” from one party to another. Ati, for instance, only recently, joined his fifth political party. Each election season he contests under a different party. The same goes for Ruffian, also known as the back stabber, and Pita, who definitely lied through his lips that he would hold office for only one term of 4 years if he won the next election. The constitution allows two terms.
Another lie the rebel Demons are telling is that they are capable of denying the Leader their people’s votes. They themselves know they are not truthful.This claim is as untrue as is their allegation of alienation or marginalisation by the king. Firstly, they no longer have that weight of influence over how their people vote. They lost it a long time ago since they chose to put a distance between them and the people after coming to power. Secondly, the accusation of alienation is as much against them as the Leader. That common touch with the people has been lost because of the ever widening chasm between them and their leaders. The constitution gives electors the power to recall non-performing elected representatives but nobody has taken advantage of it despites cries of disappointment here and there. As it is, the rebels have many flooded, crocs infested rivers to cross to reach their goal. That is if they don’t get carried away in the floods or become meal for the man eating alligators. What I foresee is a conquest, not a concert awaiting.
Meanwhile, the Leader isn’t losing sleep because of the opposition. He sits squarely on his upholstered throne, watching the rebels weary themselves, running from pillar to post and faint from walking so hard and so long.
