Alhaji Sinare refused to bow to delegates pressure
I congratulate Alhaji Sinare for not bowing to ‘delegates’pressure
Elections in Ghana has become very expensive and complex, which eventually gives power and authority to the highest giver or spender.
Right from the constituency, regional and national elections had been characterized with money, cycles, ovens and envelopes with huge sums given to delegates in exchange of votes. This condition is pervasive and a thread that could be seen in all the political parties in Ghana.
At the just ended NDC delegates congress at the Trade Fair Centre in Accra, delegates from across the regions were seen asking aspirants for money or they won’t vote for them.
I was with Alhaji Sinare when they came and after what looked like a threat to he winning the congress , he told them in the face “I don’t have money. In fact when the others bring the money take it but for the right candidates that would make the NDC win power in 2020.”
Their response “Alhaji if you don’t give us money we won’t vote for you,” delegates putting real fear in delegates.
After the results were counted it emerged that all those delegates from the regions and constituencies didn’t vote for Alhaji Sinare because he didn’t ‘pay.’
Vote buying is rarely an isolated action, and it perpetuates corruption throughout the entire political system. When a candidate chooses to pay for support, rather than compete fairly for votes, they show a disregard for democratic norms and a willingness to use illegal means,
Broadly speaking, vote buying obstructs the democratic process by interfering with the rights of citizens to freely decide who will represent them and their interests.
This can result in the candidate with the deepest pockets winning the election, rather than the candidate who would best serve their constituents,
Vote buying enables poor governance and undercuts citizens’ ability to hold their elected officials accountable. If a candidate believes all they need to do to be elected is pay off voters and government officials, they will have no incentive to be responsive to issues their constituents care about.
Along with damaging the candidate’s credibility, vote buying deters aspiring political leaders from running for office because it suggests that money, rather than ideas or experience, is how to win an election.
This to a large extent go a long way to discourage qualified candidates from running for office, while entrenching corrupt officials in their positions.
I am proud of Alhaji Sinare because he and a few credible aspirants failed to do what the majority did- vote buying.
As a result of his inability to pay, they punished him by not voting massively for him to have become the 1st Vice Chairman. He actually came 3rd albeit without paying bribes. My respect for him grew stronger since last Congress day.
I felt it’s the way to go to sanitize the system and rid it off it’s current state where ‘money’ rules.
According to international standards, in a true democracy every citizen has the right to stand for office, subject to reasonable restrictions. Vote buying makes it impossible to meet these standards by penalizing potential candidates who are at an economic disadvantage.
The NDC should not metamorphose into the New Patriotic Party (NPP) who are known to play the money game.
Kudos Alhaji Sinare. I and many others will pat you at the back always for standing out for the truth.
You visited the constituencies and sorted them out. You helped a lot more just to be betrayed the next day at congress.
I urge you to concentrate on the Zongo communities and complement the efforts of others to ensure John Mahama and the NDC wins the 2020 elections.
Elections in Ghana has become very expensive and complex, which eventually gives power and authority to the highest giver or spender.
Right from the constituency, regional and national elections had been characterized with money, cycles, ovens and envelopes with huge sums given to delegates in exchange of votes. This condition is pervasive and a thread that could be seen in all the political parties in Ghana.
At the just ended NDC delegates congress at the Trade Fair Centre in Accra, delegates from across the regions were seen asking aspirants for money or they won’t vote for them.
I was with Alhaji Sinare when they came and after what looked like a threat to he winning the congress , he told them in the face “I don’t have money. In fact when the others bring the money take it but for the right candidates that would make the NDC win power in 2020.”
Their response “Alhaji if you don’t give us money we won’t vote for you,” delegates putting real fear in delegates.
After the results were counted it emerged that all those delegates from the regions and constituencies didn’t vote for Alhaji Sinare because he didn’t ‘pay.’
Vote buying is rarely an isolated action, and it perpetuates corruption throughout the entire political system. When a candidate chooses to pay for support, rather than compete fairly for votes, they show a disregard for democratic norms and a willingness to use illegal means,
Broadly speaking, vote buying obstructs the democratic process by interfering with the rights of citizens to freely decide who will represent them and their interests.
This can result in the candidate with the deepest pockets winning the election, rather than the candidate who would best serve their constituents,
Vote buying enables poor governance and undercuts citizens’ ability to hold their elected officials accountable. If a candidate believes all they need to do to be elected is pay off voters and government officials, they will have no incentive to be responsive to issues their constituents care about.
Along with damaging the candidate’s credibility, vote buying deters aspiring political leaders from running for office because it suggests that money, rather than ideas or experience, is how to win an election.
This to a large extent go a long way to discourage qualified candidates from running for office, while entrenching corrupt officials in their positions.
I am proud of Alhaji Sinare because he and a few credible aspirants failed to do what the majority did- vote buying.
As a result of his inability to pay, they punished him by not voting massively for him to have become the 1st Vice Chairman. He actually came 3rd albeit without paying bribes. My respect for him grew stronger since last Congress day.
I felt it’s the way to go to sanitize the system and rid it off it’s current state where ‘money’ rules.
According to international standards, in a true democracy every citizen has the right to stand for office, subject to reasonable restrictions. Vote buying makes it impossible to meet these standards by penalizing potential candidates who are at an economic disadvantage.
The NDC should not metamorphose into the New Patriotic Party (NPP) who are known to play the money game.
Kudos Alhaji Sinare. I and many others will pat you at the back always for standing out for the truth.
You visited the constituencies and sorted them out. You helped a lot more just to be betrayed the next day at congress.
I urge you to concentrate on the Zongo communities and complement the efforts of others to ensure John Mahama and the NDC wins the 2020 elections.
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