No Kids In Campaigns

As the country edges closer to the House of Representatives elections, the Election Commission has issued a 64-point directive to the political parties, their candidates and others. One of them states that parties should not use children in election activities. The directive has clearly warned against using children in campaign rallies, slogan-chanting, poster distribution, and other partisan activities. The directive comes as a moral line that should never have been crossed in the first place. However, evidence shows otherwise. This moral line is often blurred in each election period. Despite the country’s constitutional provisions, child protection laws, and international treaty obligations, children continue to be conscripted into the political spectacle – from nomination rallies to post-election victory celebrations. Children’s presence is a concerning sign of the normalisation of child exploitation. 

When children are employed to shout out political slogans, democracy begins to undermine its own moral foundations. The hypocrisy is glaring: Politicians speak endlessly about building politicians speak endlessly about building a bright future for the next generation, yet they simultaneously run campaign machinery that exploits children as props for political optics and emotional appeal. While there is nothing wrong with civic education and awareness, the line between education and mobilisation must be strictly policed. Educating children about democracy is a sound way to cultivate responsible citizenship. 

Mobilising children for partisan politics is a sure way to undermine child protection. It is appropriate that civil society organisations and constitutional bodies have sounded the alarm against this trend. The need for an advisory that clearly prohibits any form of child participation in electioneering is not an overreaction. It is a necessary response to a political culture that sometimes confuses visibility with legitimacy. Around 115 reported incidents of election code violations involving children during the last local election should have been a wake-up call. Instead, it seems that the problem continues, and promises are not enough. 

The participation of children at the election seems to be accepted in silence at the grassroots level. Children passing out flyers or shouting slogans may seem harmless. However, behind the scenes, there is coercion, subtle intimidation, or social pressure. Children do not have the capacity to give informed consent to political engagement. They are likely to be conscripted by adults who know better. The elections will be watched by dozens of national and international organisations. However, monitoring needs to go beyond procedural compliance to ethical diligence. A free and fair election also means protecting the vulnerable from political manipulation. 

Political parties should understand that if they are truly committed to democratic ideals. They should campaign on their ideas, plan, policies and performance, not on how well they can rally schoolchildren for a photo. Including child rights in their party manifesto would be a great start, but this needs to be reflected in their actual behaviour on the ground. The move of the Election Commission is welcome, but its effectiveness will be in its proper implementation. Complaint procedures need to be accessible and responsive. There need to be consequences for violations that will prevent recurrence. Otherwise, the cycle of promise and violation will continue.