Opinion - Characteristics of a good candidate |12 October 2020

 It looks like we have three great choices for President, each with his own personal traits and his own take on things. They may have certain views in common but each candidate has his own unique style and character.

According to experts on behavioural science, if we were to do a simple opinion poll, we will find that voters tend to often differentiate presidential candidates in terms of their personal qualities. Why? Because character traits are deemed important. As you know, a trait is an attribute that we associate with an individual. In other words, it’s the behavioural characteristics that we can often observe in a person.

You will find that casual political conversations with your neighbours and friends often turn on the candidates’ personalities. Believe it or not, when pressed to explain why someone supports a candidate, people often cite personal attributes as a central reason.

Some will say, “It is very simple, actually. He comes across as an honest and trustworthy person.” Another person may be more nuanced and say, “I don’t necessarily agree with him on all of the issues… I just want to see an honest candidate.”

There are a number of qualities or characteristics that make a good presidential candidate. Here’s a small sample of the personal characteristics that I think are relevant to us today in Seychelles.

Fire in the belly

This is a term used in political circles to describe someone who has a desire to win and is willing to overcome obstacles. Someone who has “fire in the belly” can often make a good candidate. The ideal candidate must also have the courage to make unpopular decisions and demonstrate integrity and leadership in crisis management. At the same time, voters will expect stability and compassion from their chosen candidate.

Willingness to serve

Public service is about serving the needs of the people above the needs of one’s self. A person who shows compassion and inspires hope and is willing to serve may be qualified to lead. One must also consider, as a servant leader, if one is the best person for the job or if someone else is more equipped than you. A servant serves the better good of the people and the country, not the best interests and desires of one’s self, the candidate.

Hard working

Running for the highest office in the land is not easy. A campaign will drain you of your energy and spare time. A candidate must be prepared to rise early and stay up late to get the job done. All three candidates and their running mates (VPs) have been doing exactly that.

Ability to connect to voters

Candidates must be able to speak in public and be able to articulate a message, even in the face of adversity. A candidate must know how to appeal to voters and rally them behind a common cause with a clear message. It is obvious that no candidate will be able to agree with all the voters. However, the candidate must be willing to listen to all sides of an issue, and be able to communicate effectively and connect with supporters and opponents.

Knowledge of the issues

A proper understanding of national and local district issues is a necessity for any presidential or members of the National Assembly (MNA) candidates nowadays. Knowledge of issues that are important to all groups in our society such as senior citizens, farmers, small businesses, churches, etc. is critical. It also helps if the candidate has some experience in running a campaign and knows how to attract new and/or undecided voters. Hopefully, this will help the candidate and his political party to develop or formulate a strong vision of the country’s future.

On a separate and final note, it occurs to me that another simpler and more subjective set of criteria that you could apply well to both the presidential candidates and the MNAs to be elected is the following…Without bothering to look at which colour or party they each stand for, look at the individuals and ask yourself, which of them do you think would be:

• More approachable
• More experienced and
• More effective?

Good luck, vote well and may the best person wins.

A G Yakub

Disclaimer

The views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the Seychelles NATION newspaper.