Dennie Quill, Contributor
Voters in the West Kingston by-election use the electronic voter identification system on April 13, 2005. - FILE
IT IS voter-courting season right now against the background of insistent talk about early elections in order for Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller to get her own mandate.
Although we don't know what is on the Prime Minister's mind, there is every possibility that an election could be called this year to capitalise on her enormous popularity, especially among the masses.
The subject was therefore the focus of recent discussions.
I was stunned to learn from the 10 persons in the group of 30-something-year-old Jamaicans that not one had ever voted. Three men had been enumerated but the seven women did not even bother to participate in the process. Why?, I asked. "I can't be bothered," said one. Another retorted, "My vote won't make a difference the politicians still do what they want to do." "Politics too dirty," added one of the women.
Just when we were pondering the seriousness of the issue I read a news report that Kuwaiti women were celebrating their first opportunity to vote. This was a 2006 report, not a historical document. Women in the gender-segregated oil-rich kingdom only won full political rights in May 2005, I learnt in amazement.
In the beginning it was a privilege to have a vote. The children of ex-slaves fought hard battles to gain suffrage.
SOCIAL CHANGES
The staggering social changes which have come about in our country, and which we often take for granted, did not happen spontaneously; change resulted from the initiatives of brave men and women who were willing to fight.
And here we are in Jamaica in 2006, ignoring these struggles by not seizing the opportunity to cast our ballots in order to ensure that we put capable leaders in power, who have the ideas and principles to move our country forward.
DISILLUSIONMENT
Every day we hear people crying out for good government, and public disillusionment is near an all-time high, so citizens, particularly the youth, have various good reasons to make their voices heard and effect change in our country.
One can understand why apathy reigns in a country where politicians routinely ignore the wishes of the majority and make false promises. However, change can only be effected by thoughtful, committed citizens who see it as their duty to elect leaders who will represent them fairly and be accountable.
Democracy is not a spectator sport, so if you care about crime and violence, corruption, accountability and children and old people you must vote.
Your candidate may not win, but in a democracy it is the majority vote that counts. However, when 20 per cent of the electorate elects a new government, is that a true reflection of what the people really want?
Capable young people should see themselves as part of the solution, so not only should they find themselves in the election booth, they should also put themselves up as candidates.
I believe the government media should undertake a campaign to explain to the electorate the importance of exercising the franchise.
Postscript: In a recent column I wrote about the impotence of the Bureau of Standards and in response a reader wrote a long piece about the struggles she has had with the developers of her scheme in Portmore.
She said various cracks were in the new house and even though attempts were made to fix them by the developer the problems still exist.
She has been rebuffed by the National Housing Trust, the Jamaica Bureau of Standards, the Fair Trading Commission and now she is at her wits' end. The best advice she got from the Bureau of Standards was this - go and get a lawyer. We wish her luck.
Dennie Quill is a veteran journalist who may be reached at denniequill@hotmail.com
