The list of parliamentary candidates for the early general election to be held on July 28 has been announced. We all witnessed how much difficulty the parties had putting these lists together. Everyone’s passion for serving the country was so intense that they all rushed to serve from the top of the list... And some who couldn’t get a place near the top withdrew their candidacies, saying, “I can’t serve the public this way!”
So, should we applaud those who withdrew their candidacies, or those who ran? Let’s try to understand the candidates...
Before the candidates were announced, calls had come from various circles, with statements such as “Let new faces run” and “Let’s see the candidates, then we’ll decide.” There had been serious discussions on this subject, particularly on Twitter. The conveniences of social media must make people feel that they are different... A sense of extraordinary intelligence, being something one is not—or thinking one is—are among the interesting feelings social media evokes in people. As a result, the suggestions about who should run kept coming. In this context, becoming a candidate actually means taking a serious risk.
If the aim is to call a spade a spade, then we need to consider the issue from every angle. It is easy for people online, or for us in our opinion columns, to say, “Put them forward so we can see,” “Let them be decent people,” or “Let them be knowledgeable candidates”... I think the hard thing is getting involved and taking that risk. It’s like putting on a shirt of fire... Just think: becoming a candidate means putting up with everyone around you casting themselves as an “expert” and facing criticism from all sides. Of course, candidates might respond to this by saying, “If that’s what you want, then run yourself! Why don’t you?” But that is their choice, and they have to put up with it. In a way, it’s like a welcome party for politics.
In other words, some people will sit on the sidelines and constantly criticize you, while you have to listen. You don’t have the luxury of saying, “If that’s how you feel, then come and do it yourself, brother!”
They will sit on the sidelines, lambaste the country’s politics, and keep their distance when election time comes. You won’t have the luxury of telling them, “Get into parliament and fight your battles there... Because if politics is dirty and you’re clean and honest, why don’t you enter parliament?” You will have to act accordingly.
With all these realities in mind, I wholeheartedly congratulate every candidate who has stepped forward and wish them success during the election campaign...