Posted April. 11, 2004 22:01,
The National Election Commission (NEC) designated yesterday as a day for candidate examination. It is a part of the campaign, called Knowing You Candidate, which encourages voters to spend time getting to know the candidates of their area. Since every resident must have by now received candidate data covering property status, tax payment and military service, the NEC is encouraging voters to be more attentive and to understand candidates better when deciding their eligibility.
Although the general election is three days ahead, what makes us anxious is that the April election will be executed without giving voters enough opportunities-far less opportunities than were available in the past-to know the candidates. Under the revised election law, every type of speech meeting has disappeared, and tougher controls against election campaigning makes some candidates feel uneasy about even meeting with voters. Some old conditions such as spreading money and articles or entertaining have disappeared due to more strict controls, while chances to understand candidates well have been reduced alike.
Candidates can hold debates on television, but this doesnt always work well. A heated discussion is almost rare because leading candidates avoid it, or they simply read from prepared manuscripts.
Besides this, the election already seemed to have been swept away by every kind of wind. Under the influence of president Rohs impeachment case, a Uri Party leaders remarks on the elderly and Park Geun-hyes impact on the Grand National Party, it appears that there is no individual nor policy, but only the leaders of representing parties and their images. Evaluating a person who would be more helpful to the region and the nation among the candidates has already been laid aside.
Knowing your candidate is the minimum moral duty of the democratic citizen. If you have no idea who a candidate is or have no intention to know him at all, you deserve to have no right to vote. To reform our political status, voters should vote for the right candidate by possessing wider knowledge of them. Their efforts are surely valued.