campaign

Awareness campaign before elections

By Patrick Decloitre

It was a first in Vanuatu. In an apparent bid to push for a change, during electoral campaign, the Vanuatu ombudsman Marie-Noelle Patterson put out communique-type messages on national radio to warn voters that malpractice during campaign, includ ing bribing with bags of rice, cartons of beer, or simply cash, were a crimi nal offence.

As a result, some 30 complaints denouncing bribery during campaign were filed two weeks after the elections with the ombudsman’s office.

“There is nothing wrong with this, it is part of our Melanesian culture to exchange gifts when we visit villages, even on campaign,” former Port Vila Lord Mayor Alick Noel told national radio.

The electoral office did a similar effort and asked the only local theatre company Wan Smol Bag Theatre to put together a series of awareness clips both for radio and television. The small 15-minute tele vision play features outer island voters faced with heavy campaigning politicians who offer cash in exchange of a vote.

But the message, reinforced by small songs and slogans, is that even if you have already accepted money from a politician, you don’t have to vote for him.

“Don’t worry, your vote is secret, even if you don’t vote for him, he will not know,” an actor raps.

The messages also advised voters not to write any identifiable marks on their ballot papers. ■