Remember November 28: All about elections
APOLITICAL party is an organisation of people who share the same views about the way power should be used in a country or society.
“A political party is an alliance of like-minded people who work together to win elections and control of the government. Political parties compete against one another for political power and for the ability to put their philosophies and policies into effect.”
The role of political parties is extremely important. The main political parties feed into the government’s policy agenda before every general election. They try to include in their manifestos issues which benefit not only the voter, but the party as well.
Political parties are deeply involved in the substructures of the society, usually in a sustainable and well-functioning democracy. They link the governmental institutions to the society and help to ensure that political activities are free and fair in such a society. Political parties are regarded as most necessary for any modern democratic system.
POLITICAL PARTIES PERFORM KEY TASKS IN A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY, SUCH AS:
Recruiting candidates: Parties want to win elections, so they recruit people who are likely to win.
Organising for elections: Parties work hard to mobilise voters, encourage people to volunteer at the polls, and organise campaigns. They recruit and train candidates for public office and use them to help citizens in each constituency in fulfilling their needs and expectation as much as possible within the law.
Hold conventions: Every year, the parties hold conventions to formally declare the party’s platform and to choose the leaders.
Unite factions: Parties are not centred on a person but on a set of policy positions known as the party platform. This platform seeks to bring together a wide range of people with similar interests. Socialising and educating voters and citizens in the functioning of the political and electoral system and the generation of general political values are key.
Ensure plurality: The out-of-power party articulates its views in opposition to the ruling party. By doing this, the opposition party gives the public an alternative, channelling public opinion from citizens to government and behaving as a mediator.
Main duty: As mentioned previously, political parties may be described as institutionalised mediators between civil society and those who decide and implement decisions. This gives them the opportunity to enable their members and supporters’ demands to be represented in Parliament and in government.
From observing how the political system works, it is obvious that political parties and their candidates are key stakeholders in elections. They are the ones competing for public office, carrying out election campaigns, and trying to convince persons to vote for them. The final validation of the election result is, in practice, in the hands of the political parties and candidates. If they do not accept the results due to real or perceived electoral fraud or irregularities, the legitimacy of the resulting legislature or government is threatened.
Parties and candidates are also described many times, sometimes unfairly, as actors that have the potential to be destructive. This is so as the practices of vote-buying or illegal party financing, the proliferation of defamation and hate speech in campaigns, voter intimidation by party workers, corruption in decision-making, and the systematic exclusion of certain sectors of society constitute examples of where political parties potentially threaten the functioning of democratic systems rather than support it.
It is obvious that not all individuals are honest and so laws and regulations regarding campaigning, funding, and functioning of political parties have been developed to minimise the potential disruptive influence of political parties while still allowing them enough freedom to contest elections.
To perform their tasks and functions, political parties and citizens need some rights and obligations guaranteed or ruled by constitution or law. These include:
Freedom to be able to organise parties for the good of citizens and a democratic country
Freedom to stand for election within the law and requirements of the country
Freedom of speech and assembly within the law
Provision of a fair and peaceful competition, without defamation of character or any other illegal activities
A level playing field and freedom from discrimination and any other illegal activities
Media access and fair reporting, advertisement opportunity and equitable opportunity for airtime (this will depend on financial status)
Transparent and accountable political finance
PREPARATION FOR ELECTIONS
Since political parties are part of the democratic system in the Caribbean, where elections are held every five years in most countries, they must prepare for elections so they can win and be the next government.
EVERY POLITICAL PARTY MUST:
1. Select candidates to represent the party or a constituency 2. Raise funds legally to help in campaigns 3. Look on important issues, and this will include monitoring the party in power or in opposition
4. Carry out careful monitoring of the electoral processes and encourage public opinion polls to gain support for the party
5. Publish a manifesto which is a public declaration of its policies and aims.
WHAT INFLUENCES PEOPLE TO VOTE
Voter turnout is affected by many variables – from family and community factors to election competition and mobilisation.
1. A reason to vote: Issues at stake, political competition and voter choice
2. Voting practices, barriers, and voter apathy, i.e., voters’ lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern for politics or towards a candidate
3. Voter mobilisation is a critical turnout factor, inevitably tied to the level of competition in an election and issues at stake
4. Someone who has been personally contacted, especially by someone they know, is more likely to vote than someone who has not
“Every election is determined by the people who show up.”
– Larry J. Sabato, Pendulum Swing
5. Family and friends: Voting as a cultural and civic tradition and voter loyalty to political parties – those who grow up around family members who vote and discuss politics frequently are more likely to vote themselves
6. Voter education: Education has always been a significant factor in a person’s likelihood of voting – the more educated the person is, the more likely it is that he/she will vote
7. Trust in elections and government, which is their attitudes towards the government: People are less likely to vote if they don’t believe that their vote will be counted, or if they don’t trust the government. A loss of faith in the electoral process leads to a belief that a person’s vote doesn’t really matter.
8. Campaign issues and how far-reaching these issues are and how much they affect individuals
9. Voters’ age will also affect their voting, as younger persons will have to be encouraged.
ACTIVITIES
1. State THREE reasons why some individuals do not vote. 2. State THREE reasons why you would vote. 3. Explain THREE reasons why you are affiliated with or prefer a political party.
4. Suggest THREE strategies government can use to encourage a higher voter turnout to elections. Explain why you think your strategies will work.