Election candidates must be credible. Credibility can be discussed from a variety of perspectives including character, leadership style, communication, and other factors.
Credibility may be difficult to define objectively. However, a candidate’s credibility is different from other issues.
Before they are selected, all candidates are carefully examined and their backgrounds intensively studied.
Once they are elected, the candidates must present themselves as best they can to the voters. How they present themselves has an important impact on whether the people will vote for them or not on polling day.
Candidates should be adept at carrying themselves during campaigning so that voters do not feel conflicted about their choices.
Voters also judge candidates by their personal characteristics which include such things as authority, self-assurance, transparency and, most importantly, honesty.
It is important for election candidates to prioritise effective communication. It is essential to convey clear and straightforward messages so that the manifestos are simple to comprehend and the goals of the parties fighting for the rights of the people may be adopted.
Additionally, candidates should consider the voters they are attempting to sway as the language they employ may have the opposite meaning and effect.
During a campaign, communication is crucial. The strategy employed should reflect the preferences of the people in the contested area.
There should be a two-way communication between candidates and voters so that the latter will feel they are important and that their voices are heard.
In addition, leadership style should be highlighted. Candidates should be skilful in gaining the support of voters by articulating their aspirations for defending their rights.
In a coalition, leadership should be founded on mutual understanding and consensus. People should not desire a divided leadership.
To build voter confidence, it is necessary to avoid disputes and disagreements among parties. People are confident in the leadership that will be established in the future if there is good governance with transparency and honesty.
During a campaign, a candidate’s credibility is also evaluated based on his or her pledges. The proposed manifesto must be reasonable and implementable. We do not want the people to be enslaved by lies.
Let the promises made be kept. This is due to the fact that each candidate’s credibility will be evaluated based on the performance of his/her current service delivery in his/her future administration.
What is certain is that the candidate’s credibility should not be called into doubt because his or her performance does not match the promises made.
Voters have already begun to observe every move made by competing candidates. They can be won over by a leader with an attractive personality, good communication skills and a transparent and calculated leadership style.
Candidates should go all out with their current strategies in order to win the hearts of their voters in the future.
It is a challenge for all contending candidates to offer the best version of themselves as the winning factor is the amount of votes received from the majority of their voters.
All candidates must consider every aspect of their credibility in order to attract support from the electorate. Thus, show the best of you so that voters are confident in their choices.
• Dr Nur Aida Kipli (PhD) is a senior lecturer at Universiti Teknologi MARA, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak.
The views expressed here are those of the analyst and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
