Ghana Election 2020: “I will not vote” a chorus we must discourage
ELECTION 2020 is on its way but already statements such as “If you don’t vote, you can’t complain.” are the common responses that follow “I will not vote on December 2020” pronouncements by electorates as we get closer to the December elections.
I will not vote on December 7th, 2020, the chorus on the lips of many Ghanaians needs to be discouraged and it must gain the nation’s attention now. This means the NCCE and all other stakeholders have a huge responsibility. But come to think of it, have you found out why many qualified voters are saying “I will not vote on December 2020”? Lack of real change is another reason people refuse to vote. People in trotro buses make statements like, what do I get from finding a job for another person’s father?
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Some people are of the view that politicians in our part of the world have made the importance and reasons why citizens must vote in the December 2020 polls meaningless.
The promise and fail, promise and give excuses and the promise and deceive the public has become too many that, the general public has lost interest in taking part in elections.
Over the last 20 years of Ghana’s democratic and political history, citizens have been shortchanged with mouthwatering promises that gave them hope for which reasons they voted in the past. Yet, after elections, politicians have struggled to meet their own lofty standards, promises, and projections.
One of the annoying things they do is to keep reminding the citizens of the bad system they inherited. Politicians elected must fix the mess they come to meet or walk out gracefully because that is why we voted them into power.
Today, the ever-improving and more sophisticated Ghanaian electorate seem to have given up on the politicians of our time as those capable of transforming the fortunes of this nation as leaders.
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The lack of will power devoid of political bias and favouritism has characterized every single decision of politicians in Ghana.
There is hardly a selfless politician in Ghana today, there is hardly a true son of the land in politics today. What do we see? greed, selfishness, self-seeking and conflict of interest decision from the rank and file in politics. How can the ordinary Ghananain continue to spend countless hours on the sun to vote for self-seeking individuals? Politicians may sound and look as though they have the ordinary people at heart. Alas, do not be deceived.
Today, Ghanaians are complaining about the same old problems. Are they really better off? Or they are being unrealistic and ungrateful? Why do we continue to experience voter apathy and burnout?
Statements like…I will not vote this year, all politicians are the same, politicians do not think about us, we are suffering and things are hard.
Even when the well is dry, some still get water to drink. There is another section of Ghanaians who are die-hard supporters of various political parties who continue to show unwavering allegiance to political parties and politicians because of the benefits they derive which they may not deserve but for the links they have. For such persons, taking a decision not to vote is out of the options.
But the question is, how many are complaining and suffering per their personal experiences in the hands of politicians?
Ghanaians who have the conviction that politicians have failed us will do Ghana a lot of good to still join the long winding queues on election day and have a say in the governance of this nation.
The biggest mistake will be to keep complaining for reasons best known to them and still refuse to vote to correct the wrong they think exist.
Reasons people don’t vote include lack of interest. Over the years many Ghanaians have had their interest in general elections diminish. They feel
lack of knowledge of the reasons why we vote needs to be worked on. Many of those who vote do not even know we are to vote based on policies and not personalities. Some of those who lack interest in elections are in that state because they do not know why we vote.
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Until the populace is given enough political education and appreciate why we need to participate in decision making through elections, this feeling of not wanting to vote may increase during the 2020 general elections. Without the right political education, young people may not see the need to engage in politics nor vote for the first time in 2020.
Violence and voter suppression which takes place in some polling stations on election days can compel even those who wanted to vote to have a change of mind. The violence that erupted at the Ayawaso Bye-Election compelled a lot of people to stay at home for fear of being intimidated or hurt.
Improper registration procedures, tactics by ruling government or other enemies of the state attempts to disenfranchise people in strong holds of the opposition parties can also influence voting trends and reduce people’s interest in the electoral process.
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Personal choice resulting from intimidations by close associates such as friends and family can make people refuse to be part of the broader national decision-making process.
In all these, it is important not to make persons who have decided not to vote to so they do not look bad. Instead, education needs to be intensified and all relevant bottle necks dealt with to make the process violent free, easy and worth taking part in.
In Ghana, many people are looking for a third political force since the country has been shuffling the NDC, NPP cards for far too long. These two parties seem to have disappointed the Ghanaian electorate. Today, the common music of voters is that “The NDC and NPP are the same” a third vibrant force will ignite a lot of interest in Ghana’s elections. Statements such as “If you don’t vote, you can’t complain.” should be discouraged.
People long to be heard and deserve fair representation. Let us stop bashing nonvoters, take deep breaths and start a good and friendly conversation to make them see the need to vote. Will you join the “I will not vote” or the “We will vote group?” You know where you belong.
Source: ElectionsinGhana