Mr Honest Ngowi
During elections, it is normal for those vying
for various political leadership posts to come forward and market
themselves in front of voters. This is the case from the level of
parties to individuals.
Individuals vying for various
positions from the presidency in the country to Members of Parliament
(MPs) and councillors tend to express interest in leadership posts. In
this article, a supply and demand side economics framework is used to
discuss what we have seen, what we are seeing and what we are not seeing
in times of elections in Tanzania.
Supply side economics
Borrowing
from and modifying economics literature, the supply side economics of
the political leadership race is the side occupied by those, who wish to
be our president, MPs and councillors. Generally, this is the side
occupied by some leading personalities in various political parties in
specific jurisdictions.
Those dwelling in this supply
side of the election equation have been coming out indicating that they
want to supply the nation, constituencies and wards with their services.
It is very healthy that this is happening. For issues-based elections
however, it should be the demand-side of the equation that should come
out first, seek and demand these services before the supply side comes
out.
Demand side economics
As
opposed to the supply side of various political positions, the demand
side constitutes the electorate. It is the side where those who will
eventually walk to the ballot boxes to elect who to occupy the
presidential, parliamentary and councillors’ seats belong home to.
In
the much needed but missed issues-based election, the demand side is
supposed to be occupied by people who identify issues, as opposed to
personalities, that should move and shake elections. By identifying,
defining and demanding issues to be adressed by the would-be political
leaders, the demand side of the equation should be sending signals of
the qualifications demanded by voters for the would-be leaders.
Demand before supply
If
logic and common sense were to be given chance, the demand side of the
political leadeship equation should come out much earlier before the
supply side. This is because what is needed is broad-based demand driven
and felt-needs instead of the supply driven leadership race.
Borrowing
from the consultancy industry language, where the author partly belongs
to, the demand side of the equation should raise to the occasion, write
‘terms of reference’ in form of people’s manifestos.
Then,
those wanting to supply presidential, parliamentary and councillor
services will express interest and proposals to the would-be voters.
They would tell voters how they will supply what is demanded by them.
More often than not, unfortunately, the supply side comes before the
demand one. This is wrong and the demand side by and large has to bear
the blame.
Late supply to consumers
In
Tanzania’s election cycles, it is normal that the demand side of the
equation is supplied too late. Names as well as election manifestos are
known about two months before the election day. In serious issues-based
elections this is a bad and raw deal to the demand side.
To
elect someone, who can address issues at national, constituency and
ward levels voters need to know the would-be their leaders well in
advance. A serious electoral demand side would not commission service
providers to supply political leadership services for a period of five
years without a thorough analysis of their capabilities.
In
a best practice scenario, the demand side has to do background checks
and conduct thorough due dilligence of would-be political service
providers before walking to the ballot boxes to elect one. A two-month
period supplied by the system is inadequate for the demand side to know
well those in the supply side.
This is much the case in
a society with huge information supply gaps and large information
assymetry. Information about candidates is not normally readily supplied
and available in the public domain and space. It has to be mined.
A way forward
Institutionalised
or not, we urgently need intelligent, sobre, calm, objective, organised
and patriotic national debates on what the political leadership demand
side needs from the supply side of the same in Tanzania. The demand side
has to adequately develop terms of reference in form of people’s
manifestos for those in the supply side that aim at offering political
solutions to issues of concern for Tanzania. The electorate in the
demand side of the equation should not be waiting to be reactive in this
very important political game.
They should develop
terms of reference in form of people’s manifestos for the would-be
suppliers of political leadership services before the candidates express
interests, deliver proposals and even supply the services. This
demand-driven game will help those in the supply side to make more
informed critical self-assessment as to whether they fit in the shoes we
are supposed to make for them. Short of that we will have ourselves to
thank for if we are supplied with what we do not demand. Unfortunately,
the supply contract is for five years and cannot be breached somewhere
along the journey.
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