Whom will you vote for?

By S. A. Suleman

In an effort to outshine the others in televising the 'election-forecast transmissions' nowadays, almost every channel is determined to announce the results on its own, even before the elections! With some of them ransacking the 2002 election results; some preparing a studio and inviting political analysts; and some going on streets with a mike to ask people who they would be voting for in the upcoming elections. An important democratic right of the citizens seems to be at stake. That's right! The right of keeping one's vote private! A teacher of mine used to say that actual democracy cannot be established in a society until the people realize that voting is something personal. This means that one doesn't have to tell a TV reporter whom he is voting for.

One day, you might see a closed curtained chamber, before which people stand making a queue; someone goes inside and returns after sometime to let the next one in. The security of the chamber is ensured in such a way that no one gets any chance to peep inside. What is happening? A new and well-organized idea of a public toilet? NO! It's the Election Day, remember? But why such high security for voting, you might ask. The reason is simple and plain: this privacy guarantees the protection of a person who casts vote for a candidate, from the supporters of the other candidates. This is the reason why the concept of democracy is useless without the idea of keeping one's vote completely confidential.

In this respect, TV channels seem to be the only threat to the concept of democracy. Our visit to an aunt's house on Eid-ul-Azha made me realize this fact. I was completely flabbergasted when she told us that some people came a week before to her house. They claimed that they were carrying out a survey on how the voters had switched their votes from one candidate to the other - a comparison between the Elections 2002 and 2008. For this survey, everyone had to tell the surveyors their preferred candidates. When my aunt retaliated by saying that it was not the proper time for a survey and that they would have to wait till the announcement of the election results, they left her place.

This might be the only eyebrow-raising incident I know of, but there would be many, of course, where the innocent people are bamboozled by the ones who are ever-ready to skin anyone just to feather their own filthy nests.

Now it's our duty to understand the importance of keeping one's vote private, and hence not to ask this question of anyone!

In order to hold free and fair elections, in addition to demanding the foreign observers to monitor our elections and providing transparent ballet boxes and pressurizing the Election Commission to ensure that elections are not rigged, we should also ensure that no one is able to snatch our right by luring us to give them this highly confidential information; that is, who we are going to vote. Because the real rigging starts when the voters themselves are under a threat. So make sure you don't hesitate in refusing straightforwardly, if someone asks your preferred candidate for the elections.

And lastly, I would like to make a request to all those who are old enough to vote: please DO cast your vote! The proverbial sentence, "What can WE do?" has become too 'in' nowadays, especially while criticizing the system. Come on, guys! Don't say you can't do anything! Here is a chance for you to do something for your country and its people. And remember, you don't have to 'waste' your vote. Vote without considering which candidate lives in your neighbourhood, or whom your elder brother is supporting. Think for your country. And with this, you CAN bring a change. So don't say you can't do anything. Because you are the people, remember? And this ought to be 'a government of the people, by the people, for the people.'

[http://jang.com.pk/thenews/jan2008-weekly/us-25-01-2008/p15.htm]