AS Guyana prepares for another election, the importance of the vote is brought into the spotlight.

Parties have begun to vie for the votes; they are doing everything in their power to get voters to commit their votes to them, or to prevent them from committing to their rivals.
This is the time when voters matter. In a democratic society, it is the voters who ultimately hold the key to power for the parties.

The right to vote is a sacred right; it is a right that was earned through struggle and sacrifice. Although slavery ended in 1838, universal adult suffrage did not materialise until the 1953 election. In the interim, one could have only voted if one owned property. It meant that the vast majority of citizens were legally denied the right to choose who governed them. Consequently, one of the principal demands of the struggle for independence was the right to vote. The central point here is that the vote is a precious and powerful resource that shapes the destiny of a nation.

The vote determines who governs, and who governs determines who gets what, when and how. In other words, the vote determines who wields power in a society. Those who occupy the seat of power get to decide on the allocation of common resources. They also get to make the laws which govern the society, and to decide whether those laws are obeyed. Further, the power holders have the authority to exercise force in the society; it is they who direct the police and the military when and how to act. In the end, those who hold the power that flows from the vote are the temporary custodians of the collective power.

But, the power of the governors is the result of a socio-political contract between them and the citizens. The vote is the basis of that contract; citizens trade their votes for the expectation of collective security and welfare. The government is expected to do things for citizens that they cannot do for themselves. The understanding is that if government does not hold its side of the contract by underperforming or overreaching, they can be removed from office via the vote.

It is against this background that we urge Guyanese to come to grips with the seriousness of the moment, and to understand the power of their votes. In a society where the government is the largest employer and holds the monopoly on the distribution of resources, the vote takes on added power. This is compounded by the coming Oil-and-Gas economy, which will potentially put an unprecedented amount of resources in the hands of the government. Voters are then faced with the responsibility of deciding which set of potential governors actually get to manage those resources.

The first step in the process is registration, whereby potential voters ensure that their names are on the Voters List. Having registered, the next step is to use the vote wisely. In Guyana, given our history of ethnic voting patterns, the importance of voting on policies is downplayed. But even as one is tempted to vote in solidarity with one’s ethnic group, there is still room to consider the policies and visions advanced by the various parties.

There are reports that some people are refusing to register because they feel that the political process has not made a difference for them. It is understandable that some citizens have become alienated from the political process for various reasons, and are less inclined to register. This voter apathy is a concern in Guyana and the world at large that must be addressed; it compromises the quality of democracy. A democratic society is premised on the widening of the franchise, not its contraction.

But in the final analysis, failure to register is tantamount to surrendering your right to vote and to participate in deciding who governs you. Similarly, if you register but fail to vote, you are allowing others to decide who governs you. So, let us reflect on the importance of the vote as a powerful resource and a source of empowerment. We are on the verge of a defining moment in Guyana’s history that calls for an enlightened attitude to the vote.