THE right to vote was fought for through blood, sweat and tears. It is a right that ought not to be taken for granted or ignored. It is a right that allows every eligible citizen the opportunity to vest privilege in a person and group he/she thinks can best represent and articulate his/her interest. It is a right that carries tremendous power, through which the voter can hire a representative, fire that representative, and exercise the responsibility in ensuring that that representative accounts for the management of citizens’ affairs and the nation’s resources. Voting, therefore, is a sacred duty and must be cherished.

To cherish the vote is to turn out and vote, and thereafter remain vigilant in the political processes to ensure that promises made are kept; that involvement in the management and decision-making on matters that impact the well-being of self and community is guaranteed and respected. To not vote is to deny oneself the opportunity to influence the course of direction impacting one’s life and community.

Man lives in a political association. By this it means decisions affecting one’s life have political implications from the womb to the tomb. It was a political decision that informs laws and policies with regard to the right to life, and where death occurs, the right for one’s earthly remains to be disposed of consistent with specific standards. Where death has occurred under questionable circumstances, the deceased is entitled, through the Coroner’s Act, to an inquest.

During one’s lifetime, political decisions will inform the making of laws, conceptualisation and execution of policies and programmes, which will impact on quality of life, inclusive of whether there is respect for fundamental rights and freedoms. These include the right to freedom of association, freedom of speech and sharing of ideas and information, healthcare, education, ownership of property, the right to a safe and secure environment, work (jobs/economic opportunities), and protection from discrimination. Political decisions inform quality and equitable infrastructural development and resource management, inclusive of the environment.

Where government, in our country, is representational when a citizen exercises the right to vote by casting a ballot, it becomes a corresponding right to question and propose ideas to elected officials, since they are acting on your behalf. This is one of the basic elements in the thrust towards realising good governance. Good governance requires that citizens stay engaged throughout the process, and elected officials responding to the desires of the community within the confines of the law.

When a voter gives up the right to vote, it is tantamount to relinquishing an important act in determining who ought to be the leaders in their country. More so, the refusal to discharge this sacred duty bears the consequences of having to live under conditions and in circumstances not befitting of your desire. **A vote also places persons of choice in leadership positions to make and administer laws that can bring about economic opportunities, bring about equality, improve infrastructure, security and the environment, and manage your towns and neighbourhoods free of corruption.

We live in a society that is still affected by poverty. Poverty not only negatively impacts the standard of living of the poor, but that of the entire society; it compromises the health and longevity of the entire society as a result of greater risk to infectious diseases, hunger, and the inability to pursue education, thereby robbing the nation of its most vital resource needed for development. In areas where poverty pervades, citizens’ rights are more likely to be transgressed and laws violated, given the limited or non-existent access to justice and the stigmatisation that comes with being poor. We saw manifestations of this type of behaviour during a previous dispensation, where citizens were beaten up and thrown in jail for protesting, and other laws being trampled upon. During that dispensation, in communities such as ‘Plastic City’, the Lombard Street area and Albouystown, people were clothed in squalor.

In 2001, then President Bharrat Jagdeo and Leader of the Opposition Desmond Hoyte signed an Agreement committing to having Government address the depressed communities of Fyrish/ Gibraltar, Hogstye/Lancaster, Blueberry Hill/Victory Valley, West Watooka, Enterprise, Buxton, Meten-Meer-Zorg and De Kinderen. Nothing was done by way of national programmes to honour the commitment to the society. In the meantime, the State, under Jagdeo, facilitated the building of middle and upper- class housing developments such as the Professional Housing Scheme, Windsor Forest, and Pradoville I and II.

To vote is to have a voice and the right to demand, thereafter, that the voice be heard and elected leaders act in accordance with the laws of the community and the desires of the people. Voting is a sacred duty, and all eligible voters are called upon to exercise it.