In democratic governance, a vote is a very
valuable thing. For the voter it’s the precious wish the fairy has granted – a gem
in the hand. And for those running for office, it is the prize they need to win
to gain office. The voter doesn't often realize this great
power he possesses in a democracy.
He who has been nurtured hitherto in
despotism or autocracy has no inkling of this sudden windfall of influence he
has inherited by the mere signing in of a democratic form of governance in his
country. His mindset is still mired in that subversive state where he was told
what to do. And if he didn't comply he would be caned or canned. Now the
picture is completely reversed. He is the boss and the one running for office
is the servant. But the old mindset doesn't just change in the jiffy of a
signature of a pen on paper. This new mindset has to be brought in by active
pursuit of the advocacy of democratic values.
Every social concept has its
attendant values, and it lexicon. So has democracy. We must all learn these and be aware of their deeper implications. Its values are about the
paramount nature of individual and collective rights. And the lead role the
citizen and citizenry have in the governance of the community and state. In the
hands of a well aware and mindful polity, democracy is a great weapon and a
salve for social and economic development. Conversely, to those running for
office, an un-mindful polity is often a dream come true. Unaware of the value
of the vote, the naive voter is only too easily led down the garden path. It is
not too difficult thus to have in our new and emerging democracies, responsible
posts occupied by incompetent or unscrupulous officials – merely because those
that got elected had to keep some of the unscrupulous promises.
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