ON Monday, people are expected to troop to polling centers to cast their votes in the upcoming midterm elections.
We now see several television ads of candidates from the Administration, opposition, and independent ones, briefly explaining their background and programs while urging the electorate to vote for them.
To some, the midterm polls are a test to determine if administration bets are strong and sturdy enough to face the challenge of other candidates.
It is also a determinant of whether or not President Duterte still enjoys widespread support that guarantees the victory of his candidates.
Although there are experienced candidates in the administration lineup, several of Duterte’s bets are newbies who have neither held a Senate nor a congressional seat in their lives. Some of them can only boast of having held Cabinet portfolios or merely having the President’s ear.
This electoral exercise will also determine if Duterte’s senatorial slate will be a formidable team to contend with in the 2022 polls.
A survey has shown several administration candidates leading the list of winners in the Senate race with only a couple of independent and opposition bets managing to slip in.
Whether or not the survey results have been manipulated as alleged in social media will be answered days after May 13.
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Voters have a wide range of candidates from which to choose. They are expected to carefully scrutinize the character of each candidate and the platform and promises they offer.
Several people, however, expect a low turnout of votes in the midterm polls, believing that it is less important than the presidential election, totally oblivious that both political exercises are equally important.
More importantly, if they opt not to cast their votes this year, they lose their right to choose the senators, congressman, mayor, vice mayor, and councilors who, they believe, genuinely represent their aspirations.
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An online article (http://www.leadershipexpert.co.uk/political-leader.html) written by Hsin-Yi Cohen lists down seven qualities of a good political leader as:
– Someone who serves as an example of integrity and loyalty to the people they represent, both to the public and to other political leaders.
– Someone with good communication and interpersonal skills, who can work with a range of other people, regardless of political party or opinion, to achieve the greatest good for the general population.
– Someone who can resist the various temptations and lures of the political arena.
– Someone of strong character, with both conscience and charisma.
– Someone willing to listen to the needs of the common people and to represent them faithfully.
– Someone with the courage to stand up and say what needs to be said – rather than tell the general public what it wants to hear.
– Someone willing to make difficult (and possibly unpopular) decisions for the greater good.
Go out and vote on Monday.
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SHORT BURSTS. For comments or reactions, email [email protected] or tweet @Side_View. Read current and past issues of this column at http://www.tempo.com.ph/category/opinion/firing-line/
