Monrovia – Starting with this Senatorial by-election, some market women in Monrovia have stated that they’ve agreed in principle not to participate in all forthcoming elections in the country, citing disappointment over how the country is being run by the current government.
Speaking to FrontPage Africa at the Jorkpen Town Market also called the Nancy B. Doe Market in Sinkor, Monrovia, the women said they have often been left disappointed after being swayed by fabulous promises to vote for a particular candidate, who in many cases never return to attend to their plights or identify with them after winning the election.
“We are not voting and we’re also planning not to vote in any election because those people in the House who call themselves legislators or representatives for the people are the ones who should be making sure that the issue of U.S rate and commodities prices are reduced to the lowest for the poor to be able to provide for their families, but the only thing they can do when we vote them is to get 10-15 girlfriends just to call them ‘sugar daddy’,” Moni Paich, a trader said.
Madam Paich further stated that over the years, politicians have failed the commoners who vote them into office, leaving them hopeless, frustrated and angry about their situations; something she said can only be abolished when electrics abstain from voting them.
“I am not voting today because when you vote them and they get in power they don’t know you any longer, so the best thing to do is stay away from voting, that’s the only way they will know our importance,” she added.
Another businesswoman who preferred anonymity said there had no reason to vote in the senatorial by-election due to the failure of politicians to listen to the cry of the poor people, especially in the wake of the current economic hardship confronting the country.
“The reason why I am not voting is that everything is high, even children school fees is very high, so I prefer to use the time I will take to stand in line just to vote to sell my market and look for my children’s school fees and not to waste my time standing in line to vote people who don’t care about you when they win,” she added.
Rebecca, a mother of three children said there is consultation ongoing among marketers at the Nancy B. Doe Market to amalgamate themselves to abstain from voting in elections in the country.
She noted that, too often, voters are used as a stooge by politicians to achieve their selfish interest.
“I am tired of voting because no change and all the lawmakers we have been voting have not helped us in our situation. So, in the next six years will just remain like this because we are tired, the hardship is not easy,” she averred.
At the same time, a presiding officer at the Nancy B. Doe Market, John K. Chowoe attributed the low turnout of voters to frustration, fatigue, lack of encouragement and awareness and the unruly behavior of past lawmakers toward their electrics.
“Turnout is poor as expected. Most voters don’t have interest in coming to vote, but it is not our responsibility to call them, it is the parties responsibility to ask people to come vote, they are the ones who need them to vote not us. We are just here to conduct the process.