Come October 2015, here’s a list of qualities of the President we need

It is an election year. Tanzania will mark 20 years of peaceful power transfers since the return of multiparty politics, albeit in all those years there has been no change of the party in power. That as well, might explain in part, the continued stability during power transfers something which has eluded so many countries on the continent.

Considerable political noise has been generated from different sections of the population with regard to the kind of president the country needs to take it forward. There are those who say that the country needs “young” blood at the helm, one who will be capable of finding his/her way and keep a firm foot on the ground in these troubled times. There is no shortage of those who have countered this argument, saying age matters less, and that there are still “old” bloods out there that have an astute grasp of how to move us forward.

The “youth” card has always been part of the mix. Only retired President Mwinyi assumed office at the age of 60. His predecessor, Mwalimu and his successors were below that age when they ascended to the highest political office in the land. And few will forget just how much that card of “youthfulness” was used to great success during election campaigns which propelled President Kikwete to the presidency.

But look at the state of things today.

There are many who are disillusioned and long lost faith in the leaders they elected to office, promising them “better lives for everyone”.

So, is the panacea to all the ills afflicting us today as a country lie in the hands of a “young” president? True, youthfulness has its appeal, and young people are bold and can easily try new things. But such mindset alone doesn’t provide us with all the answers and solutions to the challenges we face today, some of which are as old as the Republic itself.

The issue to be considered here has to be the vision an aspiring President has for the future of this country. This vision has to be accompanied with policies and political slogans grounded in a particular philosophy.

One of the many reasons for the spectacular failure and early paling of the famous “Ari mpya, Nguvu mpya, Kasi mpya” is the fact that there was no philosophy to support it. It was merely an empty, political catch-phrase.

As the geniuses of political campaigns are busy planning what to come up with next, it will be better for all of us if they remembered to add substance, not only style and flare into the slogans.

The person who better qualifies to lead this country come October, should be one who understands the dangers staring us in the face, the things which could tear this country apart, and there are many.

Natural resources. Perhaps only Democratic Republic of the Congo can lay a better claim than Tanzania when it comes to be endowed with natural riches on the continent. But despite more than a decade of economic liberalization, the tangible benefits of these riches have not “trickled” down to those who live amongst them. Our political leaders have been quick to give outrageous responses when asked about their management of these resources, when asked to tell the people through their parliamentarians, what exactly is our share of the riches.

With our current handling of things, we are walking through a precipice, and depending on how we handle this, it could bring out the very best in us or the very worst.

We need a President who has the vision to improve the lot of the voters although not at the expense of investors.

For now, it is us who are owed.

National debates about the future direction of the country needs a President who will not use the sheer numbers of their MPs to make big decisions even though such decisions affect every one of us. In the end, those who are excluded in these decisions can and will not feel as part of the envisioned future, and that will leave a country bitterly polarized.

We need a President who will guide us, show us the way, but from time to time, who should accept being shown where the way is. It happens; a President is just human as well. He or she cannot claim monopoly on all knowledge and wisdom.

Above all, we need our brains when it comes to voting in October.

Mr Mwakibete is a socio-economic and political commentator and analyst based in Dar es Salaam