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1 | Guineans Want Their Presidential Candidates to Run on Policy, Not Ethnicity | Ginea: Inona No Tsy Maintsy Takiana Amin'ireo Mpirotsaka Ho Filoham-pirenena Nefa Tsy Manana Fandaharanasa? |
2 | Provisional lists of candidates being posted. Photo by Jacob Kpézé Guilavogui CC-BY-40 | Mizotra mankany amin'ny fifidianana izay ho filoham-pirenena hatao amin'ny 11 Septambra i Guinée (Conakry). |
3 | The citizens of Guinea-Conakry are preparing to cast their ballot for president on 11 October, a vote that is eagerly awaited since the 2010 elections - the first free elections held in the country since independence - were marred by irregularities and ethnic tensions. | |
4 | The country's blogosphere is buzzing with anticipation. | Mangotrakotraka ny tontolon'ny bilaogy manontolo. |
5 | Many social media users and bloggers have revived the Association des Bloggeurs de Guinée (the Guinean Association of Bloggers), also known as Ablogui, and have set up Facebook pages to share their views. | |
6 | Their main objective is to reform political discourse by forcing candidates to talk about their policies rather than their ethnicity. | |
7 | On 10 September, coinciding with the beginning of the electoral campaign, Ablogui launched GuinéeVote, a platform whose goal is to provide a tool to compare the policies of the eight candidates. | |
8 | But as of 6 October, only two candidates have provided their policy manifesto to the platform, and current President Alpha Condé, who is running for reelection, announced his on social networks. | |
9 | The remaining five haven't communicated their plans for the country, hindering the citizen effort for more transparent elections. | Naverin'ny sasany tamin'ireo mpampiasa tambajotra sosialy novelomina ilay fikambanana iray antsoina hoe “Association des Bloggeurs de Guinée (ablogui)”. |
10 | Banner of the Guinea Votes Project to encourage citizen election monitoring via Ablogui with their permission | Nanokatra pejy Facebook ry zareo mba hifampizaràna fomba fijery. |
11 | Fodé Kouyaté Sanikayi, president of Ablogi, explained that it is critical that voters base their choice on policies and therefore policies need to be made available to the public: | Ny tena tanjony dia ny hampivoatra ny fomba firesaka politika, amin'ny fanosehana ireo mpirotsaka hofidiana hiteny ny fandaharanasany fa tsy ny fiaviany. |
12 | At the end of the day [in Guinea], we do not vote for programs, but rather for individuals. | Ny hetsika fametahana ny afisin'ny lisi-pifidianana vonjimaika, avy amin'i Jacob Kpézé Guilavogui CC-BY-40 |
13 | Political parties were unable to make adequate disclosure of their programs, they do not know how to mobilize citizens around their policies so it's easier for them to play the community/ethnic card. That is why we started this initiative: to change the political discourse. | Ny 10 septambra 2015, nifanojo tamin'ny fanombohan'ny fanentanana amin'ny fifidianana, nandefa ny sehatra iray ho fampitahana ny fandaharanasan'ireo 8 mpirotsaka hofidiana ny @ablogui , nomeny anarana hoe GuinéeVote, izay mamoaka lahatsoratra amin'ny teny frantsay sy amin'ny teny ao amin'ny firenena. |
14 | We do not want simplistic and cheap speeches that only appeal to ethnicity and are worsening antagonistic ethnic tension. This often leads to further tensions and even violence. | Ao amin'ny bilaogin-dry zareo, ny bilaogera tsirairay dia miezaka ny mikaroka ireo fomba fijery tsy mbola nisy, mba hiresahana ity sangodin'ny fifidianana ity. |
15 | We want to compare the contents of the proposed programs, forcing politicians to be more constructive in trying to convince their constituents on how they will exercise the power that will bestowed upon them. | |
16 | Guinea is home to several ethnic groups, with the Fula people and the Mandinka people representing about two-thirds of the population. | |
17 | The GuinéeVote platform also offers an interactive map that will collect and curate social media to monitor the elections: | |
18 | Snapshot of Map of Guinee election monitoring platform | Ohatra, i Diakite Ibrahima Kalil, mampitaha ireo olona mpanao politika aminà mpivarotra. |
19 | Beyond GuinéeVote, the country's bloggers have tried to find original ways to talk about the election. | Toy izao no hanazavàny ny fomba fijeriny ao amin'ny bilaoginy manokana : |
20 | For example, Diakite Ibrahima Kalil, a Conakry resident and member of Ablogi, compared politicians with sales representatives in the way they have conducted their campaign: | |
21 | A chart showing the analogy between commerce and politics: | Toy ity ny fampitahana zavatra roa tsy mitovy Varotra = Politika : |
22 | Political Leader = Shopkeeper | Mptarika politika = Mpivarotra |
23 | Their vision for society = Goods | Vinam-piarahamonina = Entambarotra |
24 | Electors = Customers | Mpifidy = Mpanjifa |
25 | Vote = A purchase made by the customers | Fifidianana = Fividianana efain'ireo mpanjifa |
26 | Power = Profit | Fahefana = Tombombarotra |
27 | Electoral Campaign = Advertising | Fampielezankevitra amin'ny fifidianana = Dokambarotra |
28 | He also criticised that some candidates refused to publish their policies or ignored the importance of the GuinéeVote platform. He argued that politicians ought to have taken advantage of the opportunity to explain their candidacy: | Amin'ny famelivelezana ny fitondrantenan'ny sasany amin'ireo mpirotsaka manda ny tsy hizara ny fandaharanasany, na manao tsinontsinona ny maha-zava-dehibe ny sehatry ny bilaogera gineana, guineevote.com, Diakite Ibrahima Kalil manohy hoe: |
29 | In other countries this type of initiative would be enthusiastically supported, not only by potential contributors, but also by politicians. In this era of new technology and interconnection, the Web is a channel through which politicians can communicate their intentions and projects and hence attract the maximum number of electors, through an e-campaign. | Any amin'ny firenena hafa ny fandraisana andraikitra tahàka izao dia tohanana ary tena tadiavina fatratra, ary tsy hoe fotsiny ho an'ireo mpiara-miasa mavesa-danja fa koa tadiavin'ireo mpanao politika, satria fantsona iray ahafahany mamoaka ny tiany hatao sy ny tetikasany, zavatra izay afaka mandresy lahatra mpifidy maro amin'ny alàlan'ny tranonkala amin'izao vaninandron'ny teknolojia vaovao sy ny fifandraisana izao, izany no atao hoe e-campagne. |
30 | But since its launch, many of the candidates have still not sent in their programmes… | Saingy hatramin'ny nanombohana azy, betsaka amin'ireo mpirotsaka no tsy mbola nampita izay fandaharanasany… |
31 | Publishing a manifesto is a bit like making solemn promises that must be fulfilled once you are in power. | Karazana fanaovana voady masina ny fampahafantarana ny fandaharanasan'ny tena, voady ho efaina, vantany vao tonga eo amin'ny fitondrana. |
32 | But those who do not publish their programmes do not want to be under any obligation to the people. In my view, if such a person becomes president, then whatever they do, you will have nothing to complain about, because there was no contract between you since they made no promises. | Nefa izay tsy mampahafantatra ny fandaharanasany dia tsy te-hanan-draharaha amin'ny vahoaka, lazaiko fa [raha] lany ho filoham-pirenena ny olona tahàka izany, tsy misy azonao takiana aminy na inona na inona ataony satria tsy nisy fifanarahana nifanaovany taminao, tsy nisy fifamatorana na kely aza. |
33 | So we can say that a political leader's vision for society is a commitment to carry through the will of the people once he gains power. | Ndeha ho lazaina araka izany fa ny vinam-piarahamonina dia fifanekena fifamatorana ataon'ny mpitarika politika hanatanteraka izay hetahetan'ny vahoaka, vantany vao tonga eo amin'ny fitondrana izy. |