By Douglas Marau
HONIARA, Solomon Islands (Solomon Star, Aug. 3, 2010) – Tonight is the Devil’s night.

With less than 24 hours before more than 500,000 Solomon Islanders go to the polls, tonight will be a sleepless one for candidates and their supporters as they roam their constituency playing their last lucky cards.

I called this "the devil’s night" because this is what voters, especially those from Aoke/Langalanga and Central Kwara’ae wanted to describe it.

From past experiences voters have been warned that tonight will certainly be a night where thousands or even millions of dollars will change hands for the sole purpose of luring voters.

In Aoke/Langalanga and Central Kwara’ae this would be the case no doubt.

Interviews with certain voters in the two constituencies have grasped my attention as to how candidates and their supporters plan to unleash their last moves before the polling day.

Voters of Aoke/Langalanga described the Devil’s night (hours leading up to the election morning) as the moment candidates and their supporters walk into every village possible supplying tonnes of rice and tin foods to lure them to vote for them the next day.

In Central Kwara’ae and maybe other parts of Malaita trucks filled with rice, noodles, can foods and etc will definitely be the bait for that ballot paper when they stop at each village doorstep.

"Ask anyone in the two constituencies and they’ll tell you what devil’s night is all about candidates doing their dirty jobs in the 11th hour to lure votes from people," an Aoke/Langalanga voter revealed.

The voter, who wanted to remain anonymous, said boats and canoes will be roaming the Langa Langa lagoon beginning tonight with money and food for the people.

This has reportedly been an ongoing behaviour that had occurred frequently in the past years and it was also evident during the Langalanga by-election.

Asked how voters responded to the Devil’s night, this reporter found out that some have used this as an opportunity to get free gifts whilst some have been swept off their feet to fall into the trap.

So what do we call these?

Is this buying of votes?

Susan Stokes (2004) in her paper called ‘Vote Buying Undemocratic?" explained a similar situation in the developing world context.

I see it fitting to describe it to what would happen in parts of Malaita province especially Aoke/Langalanga and Central Kwara’ae tonight in light of the Devil’s Night.

Stokes described the Devil’s night in a more western theory as a ‘poor man’s transaction’.

She argues that it would be evident in developing countries like the Solomon Islands that such incidents would occur depending on models of how it works - why parties and candidates try to use cash or minor material or food to buy people's votes.

And most importantly why the transaction can work even when the ballot is secret, and what kinds of voters are prone to sell their votes.

It waters down to an explanation speculating that parties in developing countries (where inequality is high) tend to try to buy votes and their targets are poor voters.

And the transaction can work despite the secret ballot.

This is because parties that are enmeshed in the social networks of the poor can make good inferences about who votes for them and who does not.

What stokes has revealed in her theory have proven that candidates are likely to target the poor majority in the rural areas with a bag of rice, cans of tin meat promising voters that more is on the way when they cast their votes for the good name of the candidate.

Stokes explained further that such situation leaves the voters with no choice as the bags of rice and goods have come as a blessing taking into account that the voters eat rice and meat only at certain times in a year.

Having a meal with rice and tinned of curry chicken is not always a normal diet for village people in that sense.

In other words, they have already been trapped in the Devil’s dirty tricks and that is ‘I give you food you vote for me and I’ll give you more", end of story.

This has been a fairy tale story since God knows when. Buying of votes is evident but how do we crack down on it?

Stokes also answered the question and quite frankly the answer is NO.

No election in any country can be regarded as free and fair because it is reality that to win a vote needs more than penny (Stokes, 2004).

So what’s the solution? To be blunt Stokes have mentioned that researchers have been unlucky dealing with human behaviours because two parties get involved. The one accepting the bag of rice is just as wrong as the one who gave it.

But as mentioned earlier, how can voters deny a bag of rice (Solomon Islanders favourite food) just for piece of paper?

Beware the Devil’s night is tonight. Either you take it in return for that symbol and number on y

Cast your vote for someone who is honest and does not use money, food or other means to lure you.

Don’t give in when the "Devil" knocks at your door tonight.

Solomon Star
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