Who gets my vote!

From Sept 1, Swedish voters may begin to cast their votes in selected places - usually in post offices. The two political blocks composed of the Non-socialist alliance which is currently in power is being challenged by the opposition Socialist red-green coalition. The electoral race is tight and the Non-Socialist block has had a 6.7 percent lead against the Socialist red-green coalition which has desperately sought and identified the undecided groups in order to level the fighting field.

The problem with the Socialist red-green block is that, it has been reacting mostly to certain crucial issues in the governing Non-Socialist alliance election platform. Tax reduction incentives have been trumpeted for basically the same population segments: the pensioners, the low and medium wage earners, the employers who are admonished to employ the young between the ages of 18 and 24, as well as certain service branches like restaurants and hairdressers. There is also an invitation - mostly for women, to start companies in the health and nursing sectors through a start-up capital. The Socialist's detailed position on many isues have not always been clear and straightforward.

When it comes to family politics, both blocks are ardently courting young families with children with infectious and hard to deny offers of state-subsidised parental equality when it comes to sharing maternity and paternity leaves of absences; child custody allowances which includes leaves of absence from work due to caring of a sick child at home. There is the idea of imposing quota for the division of parental leaves after a child's birth. A quota is about the worst idea one can think of. The care of a newborn child, up until a year when he or she can be placed in a daycare center should be left to the decision of both parents, especially if they are both working and have successful careers that need balancing with family life.

As for the reduced income tax payments of pensioners, it is high time that all the politicians took cognizance of an issue that has been relegated to the waste basket in previous elections. It is my contention that the pensioners have already been taxed highly during their active working years and that their pensions are well-earned benefits to secure a decent life in their old age. True, there are many retirees who are economically above the average. But a majority are definitely on the margin so much so that, there is not much left in the wallet after payment of monthly dues for housing, medical care and food. In Sweden, one must have worked for 40 years in order to get a decent retirement pension.

Since the electoral race is very close and the undecided remain undecided, the biggest labor organisation LO that has been a partner of the Social Democratic party decided to use a "dirtier" campaign strategy - that of posters showing pictures of all the leading Alliance politicians upside down. The LO chairman was quoted as saying that the race is too close that they (LO) needed to be more aggressive describing each competitor in a negative way. Some observers feel offended that this campaigning is targetting the person much more than the politics in question. I believe there could be a backlash instead of a mass appreciation for what looks like a bad losers' attitude.

Looking and comparing the various issues and specific proposals of each block, it appears that the Socialist red-green coalition will have to raise more taxes to finance all the tax reduction incentives it plans to implement. It will be higher income tax for a particular population segment; gas, cigarette and alcohol consumption; property ownerships of houses and villas, among many others. The Socialist red-green coalition will also removed the so-called "Rut" household subsidy which is the 50 percent cost reduction for employment of household help such as cleaners. This has been a very helpful subsidy to working families who cannot find enough time to do household work because of job and childcare demands. It is also employment-generating especially for immigrants who want to work but have difficulties finding jobs.

So comes the big question of whom I should vote for, who will continue Sweden's egalitarian welfare society where rights and responsibilities are equally shared among citizens regarding of creed, colour and class; where there are no special groups that receive greater privileges; where all citizens respect and accept the dominant social and cultural norms of the Swedish way of life and where power and democracy reside in the people and not in the political parties and labour unions' collective decision making apparatus. I want to live in a society where I am accepted as an individual and not a mere cog in the giant collective wheel of power.

There are certainly major global issues such as climate, poverty, elimination of nuclear bombs and weapons of mass destruction, religious fanaticism and terrorism that require international cooperation and solidarity. But it is my firm belief that regardless of which political block wins this coming election, Sweden's position on all these global issues remains unassailable.#