Capability, ethics and the polls

As we get closer to the elections, discussions and arguments tend to focus on the ideological backgrounds of the different parties in the running and on the policies they promise to pursue.

Participants in public opinion polls tell us which party they plan to vote for and politicians and analysts spend hours speculating what kind of government these choices may lead to, whether it will be a one-party or a coalition, and which parties could work together and on what grounds.

All this pre-election analysis is, sadly, lacking in one important area, and that’s in assessing the quality of the people who will be elected to Parliament.

Lawmakers are supposed to behave in a way that elevates political standards instead of lowering them. The battle is becoming tough and the climate even more toxic. Voters have their positions and preferences. The political stakes concern which party will prevail and whether the government that emerges will be effective.

But before we reach that point, we also need to pay equal attention, if not more, to the need to bring forward the best candidates from each party: the ones who are capable and moral, the ones driven by principles and values.

This is not only essential to improving Parliament and its mechanisms but also to ensure that both the government and the opposition do more and do it better, to the benefit of society.

Voters from the right, center and left can certainly agree on the need for meritocracy and for lawmakers who have a finger on the pulse of society, who can propose solutions that are driven by what is right and not personal gain.

Citizens will obviously vote for the party that expresses them best, but they should not do so blindly. They should not vote for candidates they were told to back or those who have an effective public relations mechanism, but rather for those who distinguished themselves with their life’s work and with their accomplishments when they occupied positions of power – people whose entire mien is an honor, not an insult, to the party they represent.

A high ethical standard is the top characteristic a society should demand of its politicians. As elections near, voters of all stripes must refrain from being caught up in the hype. They must focus on the essence and choose candidates who are known for their sincerity, consistency and their honesty so that they can go on to shape the country’s future with the nation’s interest at heart and represent the people of this country ably and well, whatever their ideology.

We need politicians who rise to the occasion; it is not an impossible task.