Scrutiny of political leaders now vital

THERE is a crucial need for proper background checks and careful scrutiny of those being selected or appointed to leadership roles.

In a democracy such as ours we cast our votes based on the merits of the candidates put up for election by their respective political parties, but how much do we really know about the candidates?

The top tier of political parties’ candidates participate in a national debate on policy or national issues, so we get a glimpse of where they or the parties stand on issues, but we still know very little about the candidates themselves.

We certainly need to know much more about those presented for selection. Should we not be demanding proper probes/ investigations of those presenting themselves as candidates? After all, they will be making decisions about our lives that could very well be influenced by their possible perversions and prejudices.

And what about other leaders appointed to head government agencies? Shouldn’t they also be open to close scrutiny in public view before their appointment?