The advice to voters in the Ejisu Constituency in the Ashanti Region to cast their votes in today’s by-election based on their needs for real long-term development in the area is of great essence to the growth of democracy in the country.
Therefore, this important advice from the chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Ms Kathleen Addy, needs to be embraced by all Ghanaians.
However, certain state of national affairs; dubious acts of politicians and political parties in the country; and the tacit push or support of some state institutions make it very difficult for voters in every part of the country to embrace the advice even if they are willing to do so.
Regarding certain state of national affairs, we can say that the low level of education attained by some of the voters; their lack of understanding of the democratic culture and goings-on in the governance space; the hardships they suffer; their lack of knowledge of their rights and freedoms; and their lack of knowledge of what good things democracy should do for the majority of the people all combine to make the people politically vulnerable for exploitation by politicians.
On top of these and others like them is the situation where the law most of the time punishes the powerless and defends the politicians.
Some dubious acts of politicians and political parties are vote-buying and other inducements to woo voters.
Others include speeches that are meant to threaten or coerce the electorate to vote for certain candidates in exchange of development.
For example, comments that the people of Ejisu would only enjoy development when they vote the New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate in today’s by-election otherwise it would elude them are not tenable.
Democracy should allow voters to make choices rather than get forced to vote for a candidate or a political party against their will.
Politicians and their political parties should accept that every election, general or by-election, is a litmus test for them, so they should always do what is expected of them.
That way, they would not have to struggle so much to get voters to vote for them because the records will speak for them.
Recent comments made in the electioneering in Ejisu and elsewhere clearly point to the fact that the country’s politicians are in for skewed development.
It is sad that those who are bold enough to speak about such bias against their own party members at the helm of affairs are classified as traitors and people not fit to be associated with.
One sad phenomenon that has come to bedevil politics in Ghana has to do with party communicators.
Instead of these people propagating the good things their parties can do for the country and the edge their particular party has over the others, they mostly drift into vilifying their opponents.
What is most pathetic is that some state institutions that should help in nurturing the masses into mature democratic beings compromise their roles.
We can go on and on to raise other issues which our space cannot contain.
We know the NCCE is aware of many bad things undermining the smooth or unfettered growth of the country’s democracy, hence the advice that voters should vote based on their needs for real long-term development in their communities.
Voters should refuse inducements and threats and stop being the conduit for the politicians to take the advantage to cling to power to shortchange the generality of the people.
Why should the electorate, the kingmakers, allow the politicians to have power to misbehave and come to deceive them for more power only at the time of elections?
While the NCCE has not been economical about its advice, the Ghanaian Times wishes to remind its officials that they have the biggest role in nurturing the Ghanaian voter in the democratic culture and this is the time to rise to the occasion and prove the mettle of the Commission.
