A recent report by Global InfoAnalytics has disclosed an appalling level of voter apathy among Ghanaians, especially among the New Patriotic Party fanatics – 7% of whom are indecisive about voting and 18% deciding to abstain from voting.
Political Scientist at the Department of Political Science of the University of Ghana (UG), Dr. Kwame Asah-Asante, advised the NPP to sit up and reconcile the differences between the party and its stalwarts especially in the Ashanti region, which is the party’s vote bank.
He noted that the report whether scientifically backed or not does not bode well for the NPP, arguing that it will be practical on the part of the NPP not to understate the outcome of the report if the party wants its performance at the polls improved.
Furthermore, Dr. Asah-Asante clarified that it is normal to experience voter apathy in a democracy once in every while, emphasizing that voter apathy results from the dissatisfaction of the voter with his or her party or the dissatisfaction with the general well-being of the people.
He noted that an important thing a politician should guard against is voter apathy, stating that elections are a game of numbers and each vote is important. He emphasized that when people are indecisive about exercising their franchise or want to abstain from an election, it harms electoral outcomes.
“The effect is that take for instance, the Ashanti region which is the stronghold of the NPP, you are expecting maybe twenty people to vote for you, and at the end of the day, you end up having only ten because ten abstained. What it means is that, indirectly, they have voted against you. What is left in terms of vote, all the parties are going to clamor for that vote and instead of you getting the maximum, many vote against you”.
Dr. Kwame Asah-Asante
Impact On Democracy
Moreover, Dr. Asah-Asante indicated that Ghanaians as a people must be concerned about the present situation as it may affect the country’s democratic processes. He however noted that political parties are the entities that will be hugely affected by the situation noting that “they do want to win power”.
Consequently, he noted that while voting is not the only important thing for an electoral democracy to thrive, it is necessary for its growth, arguing that voter apathy makes it possible for minorities to defeat majorities by allowing the minority to decide who rules.
He further noted that democracy thrives on the will of the majority however, he stated that if the majority leaves important decisions to the minority to decide, final decisions and their subsequent outcome may not reflect the will of the majority.
As such, he admonished political parties to investigate the root cause of the issue by interacting with the grassroots, especially in their strongholds, and, provide solutions to the concerns of voters.
“It is not late and you need a very sober reflection on this and then you work with it. From this time on, any form of research that comes out, you take it in your stride, work with it, and then see whether you can improve your fortunes. That’s all”.
Dr. Kwame Asah-Asante
Accordingly, Dr. Asah-Asante warned that every report published in the lead to the elections should be taken seriously by the various political parties. He argued that it is costly for political parties to self-fund research that would provide them with information on the ground about the sentiments of voters.
“If somebody has done it and given it to you, take it, work with it, and improve your chances” Dr. Asante noted.
Conclusively, while political parties are bound to be affected most by the current voter sentiments, the country is bound to experience a retrogression in its democratic advancement.
It is only prudent for leaders to ensure that the public regains some confidence in government and governance to ensure that electorates are not frustrated to the point where they abandon their civil responsibilities.
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