Of Elections

One of my former Kenyan partner-in-development used to say that his organization should never conduct elections because it is always the wrong, greedy people who get elected. He meant those who have the power - usually financial - to influence the elections, but neither the commitment nor the skills to lead the organization. And he was one of elected leaders himself.
Recently there were national elections in North Korea with only one candidate. Everyone could vote against the candidate, but that meant joining a separate line for entering a booth for the secret ballot – not an easy thing to do.
So the vote is sold to the highest bidder, or voters resign either out of fear or apathy. This can happen in your organization and in your country.
But in Darfur, long time ago, people voted for their local leaders not with ballots, but rather with their attitudes of respect for those who stand out in their service to their communities. These local communities formed sultanships, lead by a sultan, who knew the communities, kept the tally in his head, and appointed the local leaders listening to the will and wisdom of the people. (as described by Daud Hari in “The Translator”)