Forget sweet-talk, kickbacks, go to polls wise

IT has been stressed many times over the years, yet sadly, thousands continue to give away their precious electoral votes to individuals rather than to registered political parties or for a particular political direction.
For years, most voters’ criteria for an ideal MP seemed to have included: Being a person from the same clan, a sweet-talker, even if he only talked nonsense but dished out more freebies than others, a one-man backyard party candidate who promised them personal kickbacks in cash and kind or someone who dazzled and hypnotised them with fancy talk and trickery which nobody could understand, yet taken as prophetic words.
As long as this mentality and ignorance are deeply-rooted among voters and DSIP and PSIP are the lures for MPs, basic government services will remain elusive for most rural districts LLGs or provinces for many more years to come.
The Electoral Commission and political parties are to be partly blamed for not widely articulating or enforcing the publication of party platforms to the rural population.
It is the basic rights of all citizens  to be given all relevant and pertinent information about each political party, what it stands for, what it would do to develop the country and bring services to the people and in what order of priority  it attaches importance to each of its developmental goals and aspirations.
It is an essential element for democratic political national elections.
It is to ensure that people fully understand the differences between the policies and national goals of the different registered political parties to be able to independently (and freely) chose a party, whose policies strike a chord with their own aspirations.
History had shown that mere fancy rhetoric, grandstanding and wild non-achievable promises had only resulted in more sufferings and bitterness.

Concerned voter, Via email