Presiding Member for the New Juaben South Municipal Assembly, Nana Yaw Debrah, has argued that distributing branded souvenirs to voters during political campaigns should not automatically be considered vote buying.
According to him, political candidates often use branded items as part of their campaign strategies to promote themselves and create awareness among voters.
“Political branding comes with souvenirs. So when you brand something and give it to people, that is not vote buying; it is selling yourself,” Nana Yaw Debrah said.
He explained that although elections are an important foundation of democracy, democracy extends beyond the electoral process to include fundamental rights such as freedom of speech and freedom of movement.
“Democracy even boils down to our freedom of speech and right of movement. Democracy is not basically about elections, although elections are the foundation of democracy,” he stated.
Nana Yaw Debrah, however, cautioned that accepting bribes during elections could undermine citizens’ ability to exercise their rights and demand accountability from elected officials.
“When you take a bribe, you have sold your voice and your right,” he said.
He noted that politicians are constantly looking for strategies to win elections and argued that political souvenirs should not automatically be equated with financial inducements intended to influence voters.
“Politics is difficult. Everyone is looking for strategies to win the elections. We always confuse the two. In terms of giving souvenirs out, is it also vote buying? It is only trying to market the candidate,” he explained.
Nana Yaw Debrah was speaking at Adom Brands’ public dialogue on the growing influence of money in Ghana’s democratic process.
The forum, dubbed “Democracy Is Not For Sale,” is being held at the Ascension Hall in Koforidua and is organised by Adom Brands of the Multimedia Group Limited in partnership with the JoyNews Impact Makers Foundation.
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