There comes a time when loyalty to a political party means telling it the truth. For the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), that time is now.
With barely two weeks before the Ol Kalou by-election, the party must ask itself one simple question: What kind of politics do we want to be remembered for?
Across the constituency, there is a growing perception that wherever DCP campaigns, tension follows. Whether deserved or not, that perception is hurting the party more than it is helping it. Elections are won by earning trust, not by creating scenes that leave people anxious about their safety.
Politics should never become a competition over who can create the biggest confrontation. If a campaign depends on drama to gain sympathy, then it has already lost the argument.
The people paying the highest price are not politicians. They are ordinary residents of Ol Kalou. They are the young people who attend rallies, the traders who close their businesses, the families who simply want peace in their town. These are not political pawns. They are citizens whose lives matter far more than any campaign strategy.
DCP should also remember that anger is temporary, but public memory is long. Once emotions settle, voters will ask themselves a simple question: Who showed leadership? Not who shouted the loudest. Not who created the biggest headlines. But who respected the people and protected the peace.
There is still time to change course.
The remaining days should be about ideas, not insults. About solutions, not confrontation. About convincing voters, not provoking them.
Winning an election is important. Winning it at the cost of public safety is not.
If DCP truly believes it offers a better future, then it should prove it through discipline, respect and peaceful campaigns. Leadership is not measured by the size of a crowd or the noise at a rally. It is measured by the ability to inspire confidence, unite communities and leave people feeling safer than you found them.
Ol Kalou deserves an election decided by the ballot—not by fear, tension or political theatre.
