Power to the people
NOW that numbers have been attached to candidates for the 2022 General Election, political parties will shift to pushing those numbers to the masses now.
Expect them to lift the tempo on their campaign platforms.
The battlelines have already been drawn.
It’s now all systems go.
Attention will be on the messages the parties have for the masses.
The Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem announced numbers for all 343 candidates contesting the 2022 General Election after the ball draw in Suva yesterday. This, after the Electoral Commission determined ‘173’ as the first three-digit number to appear on the ballot paper during a separate ball draw on Tuesday.
Expect the political parties contesting the 2022 election to up their game for their campaigns.
We are known to make last minute decisions, and that’s why the next few weeks leading up to the elections are going to be intense.
This is when experience will come to the fore for parties and their candidates.
Campaign messages will target different sections of the population. They will range from age groups to racial and ethnic compositions.
They will target emotions, and disagreements are an important part of this process.
In saying that, there are considerations, and many questions.
There are many issues Fijians can relate to and will raise as relevant leading up to the election, for instance employment, health care, education, poverty, and the economy.
In the lead up to the General Election in 2018, personal wealth, land issues and crime rated quite highly on the minds of Fijians.
Personal wealth related to cost of living, unemployment and poverty.
People also spoke about land use, farming or rural development.
Crime was highlighted, along with the economy, and education.
Another issue was infrastructure which touched on roads, transport, power and water.
These issues cut across all segments of society. As the countdown continues to December 14 this year, we will include the events of 2020 and 2021 to issues Fijians will hold close to their heart as they consider their choices.
Over the next three weeks, let us be informed. Let’s try to understand and appreciate what the various parties offer in their manifestos, and listen to the aspiring politicians who want to represent us in parliament.
Let’s ask the tough questions. Let’s review processes, policies and action taken, and proposed.
When all things are considered, the challenge is for voters to be prepared to exercise that right to be a part of an important process that comes around once every four years. You have the power to choose the government you want to lead us over the next four years. You have the power to make a difference!
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