Deciding which candidate to vote for in upcoming general elections as to who should be our National Chairman is simply a matter of party affiliation and dedication. Others, however, cast their votes based on specific characteristics they look for in their candidate of choice.

So what are the qualities or characteristics good political leaders should possess? Here are some of the characteristics a good leader must possess.

Honesty is one key factor; Alhaji Short is an honest person, is true that being honest can sometimes be difficult because it makes individuals vulnerable. In our individual lives, honesty reveals who we really are and discloses our mistakes, which gives others the opportunity to criticize or reject openly.

Honesty develops character and builds credibility and trust, which are the foundation to evoke confidence and respect from those around you, and in the case of political leaders, teammates and constituents.

Another character of Alhaji Short is compassion and understanding the suffering of others and wanting to do something to alleviate that suffering makes him stand tall among all the contestants. While many see his compassion as a weakness, I see it as strength, true compassion is a characteristic that converts knowledge to wisdom.

Every good political leader use compassion to see the needs of those he or she leads and to determine the course of action that would be of greatest benefit to all those involved. That also is one of the reason behind my conviction for Alhaji Short as our National Chairman.

I chose Alhaji Short because of his INTEGRITY. The word integrity is defined as ‘the adherence to moral and ethical principles; the soundness of moral character.’ It is a synonym for honesty and uprightness, and is a vital characteristic for those in political leadership, it is vital because, when one integrity is lost, his or her political career is doom forever.

Political leaders who possess integrity can be trusted because he or she never veers from inner values, even when it might benefit them to do so. A leader must have the trust of followers.

This requires the highest standard of integrity. Because his high standard of integrity, he chosen as a Deen of all the regional chairman in Ghana after the 2014 national delegates conference in Tamale.

Other important ingredient that score my candidate a high mark is CONFIDENCE. Having confidence in a political leader is about having faith or belief that he or she will act in a right, proper, or effective way. A good political leader needs to be both confident in himself or herself as well in their ability to lead.

Alhaji Short has proven beyond reasonable doubt that he is a leader people can trust. Leaders who possess this quality inspire others, drawing on a level of trust which sparks the motivation to get others on board and get the job done.

His decision to lead all the regional chairmen to protest for a change of leadership when the party was cage and not allowed to function under the leadership of Hon. Paul Afoko won him one of the most important ingredient called CONFIDENCE.

Every leader must be FLEXIBLE. Flexibility for a political leader is about understanding the give-and-take aspects of politics, and the ability to find the common ground. Good politicians listen carefully to all sides, to not only hear their arguments but to especially learn what it will take on behalf of all parties involved to reach a consensus.

This characteristic allows him to unite and bring all parties together as a unique party. political leaders must recognize setbacks and criticism, to learn from them and move forward.

All great political leaders have all of these qualities - and more. Each aspires to respect different views, analyze problems, and identify the best solutions - not based on loyalty to political party, but rather based on what is good and right and in the best interest of the nation as a whole. Thank you