Copyright thenassauguardian
Democracy requires the participation of citizens if it is to work on behalf of those people. That participation is especially required during elections. Individuals offer themselves as candidates either for parties or standing alone as independents. We elect governments and oppositions from the men and women who offer for office. Those who are elected hold tremendous power once in office. The legislators make laws that govern the people. They decide on taxation, how the state’s money is spent, and numerous other matters that affect the day-to-day lives of citizens. Some of the elected members of the majority party become members of Cabinet. As the executive, they lead the government. In our system, all of the powers wielded by these men and women come from the votes of the people. Whether we have good people in office to make sure the roads are paved, or that the public schools improve, or that the garbage is collected on time, depends on who we the people vote into office. It is, therefore, important that the people vote. We need the best collective assessment of the people on those who stand for office so that better individuals come to power. Historically, in The Bahamas, a large number of registered voters vote. Usually, it is in the 90 percent range. Last election was different than the norm. There was a pandemic. Only about two thirds of registered voters came out to vote. Hopefully, this was a one-off event due to the widespread illness circulating. It would be dangerous for our country if that was the beginning of a trend. It must be remembered that having a democracy is not a given. The right for the people to have control over how they are governed was fought for by successive generations. Individuals should vote. It is an insult to the struggles of all who suffered over the years for the principle of “one person, one vote” for people to stay at home and be indifferent. We are fortunate in our country that when counting the candidates from the major and minor parties and the independents, in some constituencies there could be five to seven people to choose from. Some cynics argue that both major parties are the same, and it makes no sense to vote. This is nonsense. There are differences between the parties. There are also differences between the minor party candidates and independents. It is the job of citizens in our system to take the time once every five years to assess the men and women on the ballot. There are no perfect candidates. What voters must do is weigh the pros and cons of each person seeking to represent a constituency and pick the best one. The best one could be from a major party. He or she could be from one of the minor parties or an independent. When we have high voter turnout, and large numbers of people make the effort to bring forth the best people for office, from our collective wisdom better legislatures and governments are formed. In order to know who to vote for, it is necessary for voters to be properly informed. This is a major issue of concern in the digital age. There is a tremendous amount of misinformation on the internet, social media and messaging apps. Sadly, too many people get too much information from these sources. It is important that Bahamians spend time regularly engaging with reputable news organizations. Here in The Bahamas, we have quality media companies. The two main newspapers are longstanding watchful protectors. The Nassau Guardian was founded in 1844. The Tribune began in 1903. On the broadcast side, the main players are Our News, Eyewitness News, the state broadcaster, ZNS, and Jones Communications. These major news organizations are places that should be consulted when voters are looking for reliable information. And in order to be well informed it is necessary to check in with a cross section of the trustworthy news each day. Our media companies produce an abundance of information about politics, crime, business, sports, religion and cultural matters. Journalists produce the content. Editors check their work to make sure it meets the organization’s standards. If you read, watch and listen to the reputable news, you will be better informed. The unsourced and unverified misinformation on the internet, social media and messaging apps dumb down and confuse people. The reputable news does not always get it right. The times when it doesn’t, editors correct the record and apologize. The people of the Golden Isles constituency will get the first vote of this election season. The sudden death of area MP Vaughn Miller has led to a by-election on November 24. The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) has a candidate. The Coalition for Independents (COI) has a candidate. Minor parties are likely to contest the seat. Independents may also emerge. It is unclear if the opposition Free National Movement (FNM) will participate. The people of Golden Isles should take the opportunity to come out in large numbers. The entire country will be watching the constituency race. Does the PLP still have support in this critical swing seat? Is there a shift to the opposition forces? Are voters enthusiastic or apathetic? These questions could only be properly answered if the people come out in large numbers and vote. The FNM should field a candidate. As the official opposition party and the only other party that could realistically form a government in a general election, the people of Golden Isles deserve to have an FNM candidate to choose from. There is no reasonable excuse for the FNM not to participate. We have a vibrant democracy. There is freedom of speech. There are parties with track records of governance. Independents and small parties have the right to challenge the big political organizations. We as citizens must do our part to keep our democracy vibrant. We should vote. Voting matters. Do not be one of those people who just complains about the state of the country. Get involved. Take the time to assess the parties and candidates. Make the choice for the person and/or party you think would do the best to improve the country. That is your duty to the democratic process. Vote. And encourage those close to you to vote too. • Brent Dean is a communications consultant. He is a former editor and general manager of The Nassau Guardian. He can be reached at brentdean1980@gmail.com.
