The introduction of money, goods, and or services to potential voters during elections, vote buying, is a thing of the norm in many, if not yet all of the 54 countries in Africa. Vote buying can be seen and viewed differently by all parties involved in it. To me, the writer of this blog, I see vote buying as a means to an end for all parties involved in it. To those people or political parties who engage in the distribution of money or goods and services for the purpose of persuading voters to vote in their own candidates’ direction, vote buying is a means to an end towards achieving the highest number of votes cast. And to those who are recipients of the monies and or goods and services offered in exchange for their votes, vote buying is a means to an end towards them satisfying their own financial and materialistic needs or wants. In the course of this blog, I will outline my thoughts on why it is time to put an end to this means to an end of vote buying that has done more harm than good to all parties involved in it. Also, I will proffer a remedial - vote canvassing, that I believe all parties should pursue and or entertain in Africa instead of vote buying.
On why it is time to put an end to this means to an end of vote buying that has done more harm than good to all parties involved in it, it is important to know more about vote buying - particularly in African countries, and its effects. Vote buying in African countries, a practice viewed by many as morally wrong, involves a political party, a candidate, and or a supporter of a candidate or political party distributing either money, and or goods and services to voters in an upcoming electioneering period. It involves the practice of incentivizing or persuading voters to turn out in favor for a particular bidder in the absence of any other competitor bidder, or to turn out in favor for the highest bidder in the presence of multiple bidders. Unfortunately, the effects of vote buying are that it obstructs the democratic process of that country in which it is done. It obstructs their democratic process when it fails to allow the citizens to freely choose their preferred candidates without fear or prejudice, retaliation, bribery, and or intimidation of any sort. Also, vote buying has enabled poor governance that has only resulted in a lack of accountability by citizens of their elected officials, and a lack of transparency by the elected officials themselves towards their own citizens.
As a remedy to vote buying, there are needs for political candidates, their supporters and political parties, to intensify more instead, on the canvassing for votes from potential voters, than by buying their votes. The canvassing of votes, or otherwise called election canvassing, is a door knocking or phone banking person to person voter to canvasser communication strategy. Its aim is to appeal to potential voters to consider voting for one candidate or political party versus another candidate or political party. It is one of the few central tactics used in getting out votes in an election year. Also, canvassing is a proactive and productive use of political energy that has a great sense and pride of civic duty and participation, with an aim of impacting the outcome of elections. Rather than give out money, goods or services in an electioneering period, ideas and initiatives should be shared instead to citizens. And such ideas shared during canvassing should include that of how best to serve citizens and what to do for them and their communities when elected. More so, there is also a greater need for the saving and improving of the African countries' democracy; and canvassing is a tool to the achievement of such a purpose.Â