AVOIDING ELECTORAL MALPRACTICES

By Mawutodzi K. Abissath

Daily Graphic December 7, 2004

Do you remember the adage, "If wise men refuse to take part in politics they will be ruled by fools?" Today, Tuesday, December 7, 2004, the Year of our Lord, is a voting day in our beloved country, Ghana. The significance of the day goes beyond the mere term of "voting day". 

It is a day of collective decision-making. A day of the passing of national judgment according to human or man-made laws. Philosophically, it is known that man is operating with two basic laws on this planet of law and order. There is the natural law and there is the man-made law.  We know that natural laws are immutable, that is, they cannot be other than they are.

For example, if God who created the universe has decreed that every 24 hours the sun must rise from the east and set in the west, there is no way that same God will allow the sun to rise from the north and set in the south.

That will amount to inconsistency, isn't it? On the other hands, man-made laws are subject to change or amendment because man is still struggling in the forest of errors. In other words, no human being is perfect and therefore, we can make mistakes. And when mistakes are detected, they must be corrected. In 1992, citizens of Ghana enacted a "master law" that is, the law above all other laws in the country, called the Fourth Republican Constitution.

In article 142 of that supreme law, we set for ourselves that every four years, we will go to the polls to elect leaders who will govern us for a four-year term. That is how the term “kokromoti” power came into being.  “Kokromoti” is the Akan word for the thumb. Thus, in Ghana, every election year, “kokromoti” becomes the most valuable human part of the body.

If you happen to have been born without a “kokromoti”, you better rush to the Suame Magazine in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana to get one manufactured for you instantly. For at Suame Magazine, there are many miracle inventors and nothing is impossible.

As I was saying, in that same supreme law of the land, we established one institution known as the Electoral Commission (EC) to be responsible for the formulation of policies, regulations and programmes appropriate for the free and fair conduct of elections in our country.

The purpose of this article is to politely remind ourselves of those electoral regulations, dubbed “Dos and Don’ts” of the election as we leave our homes this morning to go and cast our votes. First, remember the only instrument you are allowed to carry to the polling station is your “kokromoti”. One day you may vote electronically by the magic of ICT.

In a booklet published by the Electoral Commission, titled, Rights & Responsibilities of the Ghanaian Voter - Dos & Don’ts, there are stresses that as a registered voter, you must vote whenever the opportunity presents itself. You must vote only once in any particular election.

After voting, you must give other citizens the chance to vote. And you must take your voter ID card along with you to the polling station. You will be committing an offence if you give or receive bribe. Here, bribery is not only money, be it cash or cheque. Any gift or valuable item you give or receive that serves as an inducement and influences the choice of candidate represents an act of bribery.

Additionally, you will be committing an offence if you take somebody to the nearby kiosk to buy him or her a quarter of “agban”, or “kill me quick” or “akpeteshie” or even if you buy a bottle of Fanta for somebody as an inducement. Again, if you go to the polling station today and threaten somebody, prevent anyone from voting, give someone a dirty slap or instigate an agent to stop someone from voting, you will be committing an offence.

Again, if you attempt to use somebody's Voter ID card to vote, you will be committing an offence simply referred to as impersonation. Remember, that even if the person is living, sick or dead, you cannot use his ID card to vote on his behalf.

Above all, you must not forget that you can vote only once in the same election. If you vote in the morning and later go back in the afternoon to vote for the second time, you will be committing an offence called multiple voting.

There are more of these "Dos & Don'ts" in the Electoral Commission's booklet. You can read them for yourself. Radio and Television stations are telling and showing us every day some of these things. But because print journalism is the first draft of history, I am writing these few points. So, if you are a registered voter and have not yet voted then after reading this article, quickly go and prove your “kokromoti” power in peace, love, harmony, tolerance and understanding. For if you don't know what is good for you, others will tell you what is bad for you.

The author works with the Information Services Department (ISD) abissath@gmail.com

NB:  This article was first published by the Daily Graphic December 7, 2004.