Vote Buying: If I Can Give Out A Private Jet To Win An Election Why Not - Presidential Staffer 'Rubbishes' CODEO's Remarks
Director of Local Government Services at the Office of the President, Dennis Miracles Aboagye has disagreed with critics accusing the ruling government of vote buying, especially following the recently held Assin North by-election.
The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) condemned the incidence of vote buying in the Assin North by-election held on Tuesday.
The National Coordinator of CODEO, Albert Kofi Arhin, speaking in an interview said: “I heard a lot of people talking about money exchanging hands, being given to voters and that’s a very bad sign. It’s been happening and people have been talking about it and if we are not careful this will destroy the democracy that we are building.”
“How can you give money to a voter to cast a ballot for you? It is surely a bad sign, so I think both politicians and voters need to look at this and find solutions to it because it is not good for our democracy,” he added.
However, the Presidential Staffer believes what the Coalition is saying "is just theory".
"The only way anyone can make a case is if there's any scientific proof that if you give something to someone it can influence the person to vote for or against you, then we'll be able to make a case. As for what CODEO and others are saying it's just paperwork..." he said during a panel discussion on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo'.
Watch video below
Miracles further indicated that as a politician, he'll do whatever he can "within his means" to ensure that he gets the vote he needs during an election.
According to him, if anyone should be blamed for vote buying it should be the voter.
"I'm a politician; if I'm going for an election and I come to you and you tell me to give you a private jet before you vote for me; why not, I'll give it to you; if it's within my means. If you have any complaint about vote buying it should go to the voter, not the politician. I'm a political party and my job is to win an election; what are you talking about? Ah!!! As for this vote buying issue, I don't even understand it. Who did we buy???"
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