Battering Women Vying For Political Leadership
Panama’s general elections are just around the corner. Another woman, this one vying for the Presidency in Panama, is now caught in the headlights. Balbina Herrera for the past few months has been facing some serious Panama heat. If you think its hot in the US Presidential elections, Latin America is no better. And from what I hear things are not too cool for Portia Simpson-Miller in Jamaica either. Portia the sitting president of the People’s National Party was challenged for that position by Peter Phillips in a battle to be decided at the polls on September 20th. That’s something else to watch.
In the meantime though, I had to do some reflection on noise in the media. One thing is certain, like it or not more women are saying we are coming forward and offering ourselves for public office. But what a battering they have been getting.
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September 15th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
The real Balbina issue is her connection to our dictatorial past, one that is being resurrected via the newly approved and universally critiziced laws. Navarro’s approach was wrong, in terms of style, but it exposed the way the internal tensions and truths about the PRD are handled.
September 15th, 2008 at 11:13 pm
Avarana,
Thanks for visiting!
Yes, Balbina is criticized for her personal past links with Noriega, and for being too left of left as a Socialist. And yes that is haunting her right now. Still I cannot overlook the difference in the way the ordinary people versus the business/elite class speak of her.
The former likes her aggression because they say she gets the work done. They describe her as a worker and has results to show. The latter speaks of her socialist values, potential threat to business and investment, her lack of intellectual capabilities, and her being too common.
My concern is why for all these women under discussion Balbina included there is so much negatives associated with their intellect, and their style of identifying with the masses.
Hence the quest to figure out what people want. Will any woman ever have the right profile for political presidential office in this modern era?
Peace!
September 17th, 2008 at 10:33 am
The sad part is that in our latin american countries, leadership is not a matter of proven merits, but rather a popularity contest.
So whatever her intellectual assets might be, we can easily bundle her with past and present politicians, male or female, who we saw fit to rule because of their powerful stance.
This populist stance is fueled by past images of military (Torrijos) and civil (Arias) dictators, distinguished by flashy and all sweeping policies and public works instead of their hability to plan, negociate or simply manage our little patch of land.
So, what people want does not necessarely translate into what is best for the country, in our hearts we know that, so we vote for inmediate gratification. And then it all ends in tears.
Thanks Marvia!
September 17th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Avarana,
You know it would be a wonderful thing if the person who has the most votes for popularity was also the person who worked hard, and is known to be fair to everyone no matter which party they belonged to. They would address human needs instead of party’s needs. They would be known as just with compassion for those who were being marginalized.
Wouldn’t that be great! Alas its but a nice dream….
Marvia