Dear Liberian Voters,
The most important power you have is the power of your vote. Take your voting power seriously. This is a sacred role. Look for your voter’s card now and keep it at a save place.
For the reason that you are the registered and eligible ones, you have the opportunity and obligation to choose a new president on behalf of all Liberians at home and abroad.
Tuesday, December 26, 2017 is the Election Day. It is a day after Christmas.
Democracy is not a cheap commodity. It requires citizens to make sacrifices for it to work. Stop the complaining and take your responsibility seriously.
No excuses!
If you do not vote do not expect your candidate to win.
Also you need to know that elections are not meant for everyone to win.
They are intended to determine a winner and accepting the results is bitter, but it is the beauty of democracy.
Elections are just the beginning of the democratic governance process. What happens after is critical.
This means you as citizens must remained engaged even after the elections for your voices to be heard.
The power of the vote is what you have as voters to hold all elected and appointed individuals in various positions of power, including the presidency accountable.
This power is guaranteed under the Liberian Constitution. This is your undisputable power and right that allows you to make your government work for you.
To understand the power and value of this vote and how to use it for your government to work for you is the role of the Emancipation Movement of Liberia, Inc. (EMOL).
EMOL is a non-profit civic and advocacy peace promoting organization registered in the United States and Liberia.
EMOL wants you to know that the people you elect including the president to positions of power are supposed to serve you.
They are caretakers of your power that you entrust to them through the power of your votes as citizens.
They are supposed to be accountable and answerable to you the voters. Your rights are violated when it is the other way around.
This means all the people in positions of power in your districts and counties are supposed to tell you about all the resources in your area and the monetary value of such resources.
EMOL also wants you to know that anyone elected or appointed to a position of power is as well required to tell you the voters, how much share of the money the government has set aside for the development of your area each year.
This money is called the budget. You the voters have the right to have a saying in how this money is spent for your district or county.
Your Representatives or Senators are supposed to report to you regularly, particular during recess or when they are on a break.
There should be a citizens meeting that your Representatives or Senators is required to call to report to you the citizens or constituents things they voted for or against in the interest of the district or county during sessions of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
During these meetings, you the voters have the right to ask your representative or senator about how you the voters, are going to benefit from the decisions he or she made through voting on issues at the Capitol Building before the break.
You also have the right to ask them about some of the promises they made when they were campaigning for their current positions.
With the power of your vote, you can make all these things to happen as citizens and constituents of your districts and the country.
EMOL wants you the citizens and voters to know and understand how to use the “power of your vote “in this way to compel anyone elected or appointed to be accountable and answerable to you the voters.
He or she will no longer take you and your vote for granted as they know by then you are “sophisticated and empowered” electorates. EMOL wants you to know also that everyone in a position of power is supposed to do what you the people want.
It is wrong under the Liberian constitution for any of them to use such power for their own benefit to your detriment because these positions are yours and those occupying them are custodians.
EMOL’s wants you the citizens and voters to know that for anyone to serve in a position of power is an opportunity for him or her to show how much he or she can do for you the voters.
The key function or responsibility for each one of them is to figure out how he or she can use such position of power to create learning and other empowerment opportunities that will allow you the voters to be able to put food on the table for you and your family from earned incomes.
These kinds of voting issues are called “pocket books” issues. Pocket book issues are based on the kind of things that will help to improve the livelihoods of everyone.
They have nothing to do with one’s ethic and religion backgrounds.
They are issues that are the common needs of everyone. They recognize everyone’s human’s is dignity is the key in talking about pocket books issues.
Jarwinken Wiah, Contributing Writer
[email protected]