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When leaders die
The death of a world leader is always serious business. However, when that world leader and the crust of his Cabinet die then that is tantamount to a disaster.
This was the case when Polish leader, Lech Kaczynski and his top brass died in a horrendous plane crash on Saturday.
Kaczynski’s wife, Maria, and the Deputy Foreign Minister, Andrzej Kremer, were also among the fatalities.
So too were the country’s Chief military adviser, the head of the central bank and other national leaders. The word is that pilot error is to blame because the pilot ignored all instructions against landing in dense fog.
Forget that this was the man touted to have led a return to democracy in Poland when he overthrew the ‘communist regime’ in 1989.
Forget that he was loved by his people. One needs to look at the likely fall out. He would have had policies which he would have most likely shared with his deputies. However, no one can better execute a programme than the person who conceives it.
There have not been many occasions like this but this is not isolated. Some African leaders, always fearful of a coup and therefore distrustful of other senior officers in the country have been known to walk with everyone. In at least one case there was a costly crash that all but wiped out the upper echelons of the country.
In small countries such a happening would be devastating because skills are not at a premium. Many people have seen the effect of a military coup when in one fell swoop, the entire government is removed.
The country often falters while the adjustments are made. The saving grace is that the people who actually do the work are the public servants. These are the people who keep the wheels of the country turning.
But there are countries where the public service is so politicized that the senior officials are removed should there be a change of government.
This happened in Guyana against the various calls by civil society and public servants alike that one does not touch public servants.
The result was that what was dubbed an excellent recovery programme stalled. It was not until President Bharrat Jagdeo had fashioned another package that the country began an economic move forward.
Poland is not Guyana and therefore there may be more skills at the disposal of the country. Goldman Sachs, a prominent financial empire in the United States, did not deny that Poland would be affected.
“Although tragic, we do not believe that this event threatens political and economic stability in Poland in any fundamental way.” The grim reality is that there would be some effect.
This event should signal to leaders that they need to keep in close contact with every decision maker. Every plan needs to be explained in detail so that in the event of the unexpected happening there would be no disruption.
The crash that claimed the lives of the top Polish officials is also a reminder that delegations should not include all the prominent people.
It is a reminder of the old adage that one should not place one’s eggs in one basket.
Poland was not always one of the best countries in the world. It has had a tumultuous history.
The now dead President has been credited with initiating this long period of peace and now that he has died so suddenly there are fears that dark days could return.
For the sake of the country, already those who have been thrust into leadership positions are calling elections. The signal is that whoever is to head the country must come with his/her own plans and programmes.
President Kaczynski’s programme was his and the country’s temporary leaders feel that no one should be hamstrung.
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