GE2020 – Aug 10: MAKE THE CORRECT CHOICE

We are just hours away from a most important decision.
As we entered this last week before polling day, the 2 so-called major parties with the support of media only too willing to accept the lucrative business of ‘paid political advertisements’ and heavy social media traffic, have created the impression that on August 10, the Electors are faced with nothing new.
The impression is created that this election is more of the same – the same choiceless democracy in which we are to decide nothing other than which side of the aisle, the red and yellow of the political monopoly are to occupy from August 11.
What’s different about GE2020
In these 41 elections to appoint Parliamentary Representatives for the next 5-year term, there is a total of 150 candidates - 80 fielded candidates of the ‘major parties’ and another 70 candidates fielded by 19 other political parties, together with 4 independent candidates.
For the first time in a long time, voters are faced with a real opportunity to move beyond an ‘either or’ possibility of representation in the Parliament.
On occasions like 2007 with a ‘third party’, the possibilities were more apparent than real. Once the third-party  candidates were contesting as such and seeking to displace both ‘traditional parties’ from Government, the possibility of a different voice was not possible given our electoral process.
In 2020, the large number of ‘other’ candidates represent many different points-of-view and the real possibility of providing different voices in the Parliament despite the system.
Inevitably, in this situation, either red or yellow may form the Government. However, if some of the 70 other candidates are elected in at least some constituencies, the Parliamentary debates will be joined by a variety of voices.
This makes for much more intense and meaningful debate on proposed legislative measures, fiscal proposals, etc. and at least some Joint Select Committees to exercise more effective oversight with Ministers before Committees with new composition.
Accountability will be strengthened with independent voices.
This is the major NEW that GE2020 provides.
The Monopoly Fights Back
Faced with this entirely new situation, and perceiving it as a threat to their comfort zone of monopolising presence in the highest forum of decision-making, the proponents of the 2-party illusion of “Representative Democracy” have reacted to protect their “property” – their ‘exclusive domain’ in the affairs of Parliament.
Since Nomination Day, they have jointly carried a narrative seeking to demonise the 70 non-monopoly candidates as ‘spoilers’ whose only role is to ‘split votes’ as if the votes of the electors are ‘owned by either of these ‘major parties’.
The Right of the other candidates to be elected or be elected, their Constitutional Right to a political opinion and to politically organise is treated as the privilege only of special class of ‘legitimate’ political parties or politicians.
The  red and yellow ‘champions of democracy’ censure anyone who dares claim the desire to offer a different voice or perspective as being only of ‘nuisance value’ or irrelevant because they do not have enough candidates to be ‘legitimate’ participants in the electoral politics.
This, despite the fact the Rules of the electoral process recognize No Qualifying threshold to the title of ‘party’ or ‘candidate’.
The First-Past-the-Post ‘Winner Take All’ electoral system and the exclusion of the Electors from the Selection of candidates also guarantee the status quo backed up by the big spend of the ‘major parties’ to exclude the other voices from access to the ‘traditional media’ space which should be guaranteed to all participants if this was a really Fair contest.
Electors Must Make the Correct Choice
The political monopoly tells Electors who you choose as your Parliamentary Representative is not important once you put either side of the monopoly in office either as Government or Opposition – the proverbial vote for a crapaud in the appropriate party tie.
With the number of options available in these elections, Electors can choose which candidate they feel can best represent them in Parliament.
For those who have been saying ‘no more red or yellow’, scrutinize and question every candidate and choose your best Representative.
Before now, Electors have wisely denied absolute majorities on most occasions. This is your opportunity to break out of the Choiceless 2-party trap and elect a Parliament of Representatives First and foremost, not a party to form Government.
The Electors must make the Correct Choice of Representative.
Once you make the Correct Choice, the Parliamentarians will select the Government from among themselves following the Rules in our Constitution.
The Crisis facing our nation and society calls for a different kind of Parliament, a Parliament for the National Interest; not another Parliament of Sectoral Party interests. The critical challenges facing our economy, health, our safety and very existence demands Governance of National Unity.
This is an historic opportunity which Electors must seize.
​
Clyde Weatherhead
A Citizen Fighting for Democratic Renewal
And for All Electors to Exercise A Real
Choice with an Informed Vote
08 August 2020
 

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