On GE15 & Electing a Representative
When describing elections, we often hear it being akin to the hiring process. Candidates present their credentials/track record and the ones best we feel suitable would be hired. While this is true to a degree, it doesn’t capture the full picture.
Elections are akin to a hiring process. Yes.
But they are not like hiring entry level, associates, or middle level managers.
Rather, it is akin to hiring the CEO or Senior Management. Hiring CEOs/Top Management are vastly different from hiring middle management or associates.
Often, CEO candidates are asked not only about their track record, but also how they are steering the company for the coming contract term. The Board would what programmes will axed and what new initiatives to take. They look at the candidate’s demeanor in making tough decisions. They also look into the potential team that the successful CEO will bring onboard.
Skills and experience are not enough. Boards also take into account other factors which the candidate brings to the table, e.g., network, values vis-a-vis company values, fundraising capabilities.
This analogy is much more accurate, in my view. MPs and Assembly Members are not there to “cuci parit” or “tukar minyak motor”. They represent their constituencies, they need to lobby for changes in and outside of the legislature. If you’re talking about change, you want to know what changes they are advocating.
