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Sports |
Citizens of voting age must vote
AN article headlined “New Irelanders
not keen on polls” (April 30) stated that some people in the
province are not planning to vote as they believe it would be a
“waste of time”.
In our good governance work around the country, Transparency
International PNG has experienced this attitude elsewhere.
Although we normally confine ourselves to commenting on the
workings of government and its statutory bodies, we feel we must
comment upon this matter as the willingness of citizens to
participate in the democratic process, regardless of its flaws, is
the very foundation of democracy and the protection of human
rights.
Therefore, there can be no greater threat to the health of a
democracy than citizens giving up on the process and deciding not
to participate.
While some may respond that many Western democracies have
declining voter turnout, it is worth noting that these are
countries where basic services are delivered and when their
governments show themselves unable to maintain the delivery of
those services – voter turn out rises albeit temporarily – in
order to remove that government.
Some others may respond that they can live in complete isolation
from government but in today’s world, this is impossible and means
denying your children any chance of the opportunities of a better
life
Therefore, we implore the people to register, and then cast their
vote even if the vote is not counted because something happened to
the ballot box.
We urge all citizens of voting age to vote.
Democracy and the right to vote, once lost, are hard to regain.
Joycelyn Mark-Sabbath
PR Officer
Transparency
International PNG
 
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