Les femmes rwandaises et la campagne électorale - Inter ...

Rwandan Women and the Electoral Campaign • 30 - 31 July 2003
Some "best practice" tips
Once you have decided to run, the following "best practice" tips can boost your bid:
Be feared, not loved
Be visible but mysterious
Concentrate on your strengths
Animate your contacts
This is a primary principle in realpolitik. It was developed in 1500 by Niccoló
Macchiavelli, a political philosopher of his time. He asks the question "Is it
better to be loved or to be feared?" When you are feared, you can control
events in your favour. If you are loved, those who love you control the events
for you. This is bad practice in competitive politics. The woman who gets
political power is therefore one who is feared, and not loved.
Once you decide to run, your electorate must "see" you. You must engage in
some activities that highlight your leadership qualities. In being visible you
should, however, create a cloud of mystique around yourself. A good
politician can afford to be candid and, as a rule, must be difficult to
understand.
Do what you are best at. A Winning candidate does not concentrate their
efforts on what they are weak at with the aim of making it better. Stick to what
you are good at and play up your strong points.
Discard people who do not add value to your campaign. A candidate is like a
magnet that attracts all manner of interests. You must be careful not to waste
your time on such people. Use your contacts strategically. Networking with
contacts is a strategic game. Approach as many people as you can with the
aim of cashing in on a few contacts. Then categorize the contacts into "useful"
"useless" and "inactive". This will tell you who to rely on and who the
busy-bodies are. •
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