ETHICS : Lack of political will can be tragic

In political life, we talk about ‘political will’ so much. It is a catch-all concept and complex in its use, but a very important notion, if not conviction when it comes to addressing political, economic and social despair and disillusionment among citizens. Undeniably, lack of it can be tragic!

In fact, citizens from across the globe, have in one way or the other suffered a lot due to lack of political will. Yes, we need political will , that is a determination of individual political actors to do and say things that will produce a desired outcome for the country and wananchi.

Though prone to manipulation and misrepresen¬tation, it is the political will, a conviction involving intent and motivation, in the context of political leaders’ personal characteristic, reflecting their values, priorities, and desires, which has made countries to move in a positive direction for its citizens.

Though complex, the good thing about political will is that it can easily be observed through real life situations of what political leaders speak about and doing for their people. When a leader is doing what he has spoken, then this can be a reliable basis for inferring the existence of political will.

It is actually the lack of commitment of actors to undertake actions to achieve a set of objectives which has eaten the fabric of our societies. We hear, for example, disasters associated with failure to pass legislation, enforce sanctions, or pursue issues such as corruption cases in the courts. These are negative indicators of the lack of political will.

So, we get frustrated by the apparent slow pace in development endeavours, simply because actors from a wide range of political divides tend not to share similar objectives and priorities. But the question is: why be concerned by the lack of political will among our political leaders? We contend that one cannot ignore the critical importance of political will or lack of it because the concept is attributed to so many ills as well as country’s successes.

With no political will, agreed strategies cannot be implemented. It means efforts to manage society and promote economic change and social welfare for the people get wiped out. It becomes much worse when politicians live with populations ravaged by poverty, illiteracy and disease, but show no signs of caring. The willing¬ness to make upfront commitment is a forgotten agenda. And what is the outcome? It is tragic! Indicators of political will such as implementing speeches and other public declarations by senior political officials, passage of various national legisla¬tion, tend not to be taken care of.

Apparently, political will is the essential element, and where it does not exist, our leaders will not be able to stand for reform. In my view, politicians should not attempt to work towards the agenda of building the nation until “will” is adequate. When it is adequate, no politician would devalue the lives of people and destroy the fabric of our society. If satisfactory, it will readily support the dynamic economy of our country.

Yes, I agree, political will is the slipperiest concept in the politics and policy lexicon. But it is the sina qua non of policy and political success. So, demand for satisfactory political will should not be an overrated commodity.

It is this political will which will help in leadership building, transparency and accountability, civil society empowerment, political transition and peace and stability. It is the lack of it which will create a host of opportunities for personal accumulation, declining public morale and fraud. Ooh yes, our leaders’ determination to seek change is important.

Dr Alfred Sebahene is a lecturer at St John’s University of Tanzania