Editorial
Obama's new team
Our politicians might take a cue or two
THE hallmark of a good leader is his ability to choose the right person for the right job. In the case of the US president- elect the rationale behind his choice of secretaries and heads of important national institutions seems unassailable. The fact that he has chosen his rival Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primaries to head the State Department and his decision to retain Robert Gates as Secretary of Defense go only to demonstrate the inclusive nature in the choice of his political team.
Some may question his choice of a few Clinton era functionaries to head some important posts and ask whether that would bring about the much vaunted change which Obama has been calling for. The fact that he has gone for experience reinforces the belief that the government is not quite the place for on-the-job training of heads of departments, but one that requires the department heads to be hands-on from day one.
Both Hilary Clinton and Robert Gates carry with them rich experience in the field of foreign policy and defense, and can indeed implement the changes. Much in contrast to Bush's policy the president-elect has articulated the need to combine power with the wisdom and force of diplomacy. And he feels that his team can help him deliver on his pledges.
The US election and the behaviour of the victor as well as the vanquished after the results were announced are object lessons for our politicians to emulate. It is well to remember that political rivals are not intractable enemies and there is need to reach out across the aisle for the good of the country.
We believe that although our political culture and caveats that circumscribe parliamentary practices may not permit the type of inclusiveness as we have seen in the USA, surely we can expect the winner and whoever forms the next government to reach out to the political rival and ensure that approaches to policies are not motivated by personal or party considerations but by the merits or demerits of the stances taken.
There are many ways that the political temper, which we have witnessed in the past, can be toned down, the foremost of which is the need for the political parties' leadership to not only be good politicians but also try to be good statesmen, for the sake our national interest.
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