Stephen Forson, Deputy Director of IT for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), addressed the contentious issue of gift-sharing during elections, asserting that it should be viewed as lobbying rather than vote buying.
In a recent edition of the “Editors Take” segment on the Happy Morning Show with Sefah Danquah, Mr. Forson acknowledged the presence of monetary gifts and other items during election periods but expressed hesitance in categorizing it as direct vote buying.
He stated, “I really don’t know if I can call it vote buying, but obviously these monies and gifts do not necessarily guarantee votes or the purported vote buying.”
Seeking to provide a nuanced perspective, Forson emphasized the need to contextualize the act of providing gifts or support to electorates, pointing out that it is not a novel occurrence in the country. While he refrained from outright endorsement, he urged a realistic assessment of the situation.
“The delegates live in the constituency and take their own decisions. Those that are purported to have paid for votes, I don’t think they all won. I believe it’s election time, and in politics, there’s something called lobbying,” he added.
Drawing on his understanding of global politics, Mr. Forson asserted that lobbying is an integral part of democracy and politics, even in advanced democratic countries.
He explained that lobbying takes various forms and is widely accepted, emphasizing that it does not necessarily dictate or influence the outcome of the vote.
“Even in advanced democratic countries there’s lobbying and they come in many forms. That is why there are people who are classified as lobbyists and it’s accepted everywhere but that doesn’t necessarily influence the vote,” he said.
Addressing the specific context within the just ended NPP Parliamentary Primaries, Mr. Forson acknowledged the party’s awareness of such activities but admitted challenges in verifying the authenticity of videos circulating during election periods.
He noted, “Yes, as a party, we saw some of these things but we could not confirm the validity and authenticity of the videos. It’s election, and people spread all kinds of things.”
This comes after the NPP Parliamentary primaries on Saturday, January 27 was reportedly marked by the distribution of money, branded Smart TV sets and motorbikes in some constituencies.