Talal Alharbi

By : Talal Alharbi

There are some magnificent Arab proverbs. One of those proverbs is: “Join the horses blonde.” There is story behind it. There was a peasant who owned several breed horses, which he used to nurture and take care of. Every day, he used to open the fence of his farm and let them go running free in the fields. He also had a blonde cow, which used to stimulate the horses and join and compete with them. The man developed so much love for this cow and he was careful to call her whenever he would release the horses, he would shout: “Join the horses, blonde.”

This proverb portrays those who imitate things that do not relate to them whatsoever.

I really don’t know why this proverb came to my mind with the elections of the capital’s Chamber of Commerce approaching. The reason, I believe, is that there is something strange here because some of the candidates have started their election campaign earlier. This is legitimate, however, but what is strange is that they pose as experts in elections and never stop in lecturing us on how to win the elections and manage the campaigns. But when you ask him when the last time you cast your vote was, he would answer, “I really don’t remember” because he is too timid to say that he never did take part in any of the Chamber’s or the Municipality elections. This makes us wonder, if this is the case: How could he become an expert overnight?

It is true that we are new to the elections game, but it isn’t difficult to learn and practice this game. What is strange is that some of these candidates have started from the top of the ladder without even knowing the basic principles of this game. And we really don’t know where they are heading. When you hear one of them addressing gatherings, you would think that he is one of the main pillars of the American democracy. Being the Chamber of Commerce and Industry election, it’s natural that they are specifically for certain class of the society- businessmen. But I don’t think that majority of the candidates are businessmen or even small businessmen. Some might be old businessmen, but this doesn’t mean that they have turned into experts in managing the elections campaigns. Nevertheless, the drama of “Join the horses, blonde” is continuing unabated.

What I want to say here is that we must manage our election process in future in a more positive and scientific way. In countries that are well-established democracies, those running for elections propose goal-based programs, but here I wonder why we always start from zero point, repeat the same mistakes and achieve negative results? Why do we make the same mistakes that others have committed decades ago? Why can’t we start from where they ended?

Here, some candidates depend on their financial positions. The issue here is not how much money you have, but how could you serve the nation and how could you make a difference. It is true that we can’t put an end to the opportunists who are after prestige, but we can limit their evil and give chance to the efficient and the qualified.

Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in the Column section are their own and do not reflect RiyadhVision’s point-of-view.

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