Daily Lessons from Life 05-06 March 2013 - Venezuela says election to be called within 30 days

"Venezuela says election to be called within 30 days - AFP 06 March 2013

CARACAS: Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro will take over as interim president and an election will be called within 30 days, the country's foreign minister said Tuesday, after Hugo Chavez's death.

"It is the mandate that comandante President Hugo Chavez gave us," Foreign Minister Elias Jaua told state news channel Telesur, explaining that there was an "absolute absence" over the constitutional procedure to replace Chavez.

Jaua did not specify if the election would be held within 30 days or if the date would be chosen during that period.

The minister's announcement that Maduro will take the helm in the interim also appears to contradict the constitution, which says that the National Assembly president takes over the presidency if the president dies.

Fernando Soto Rojas, a lawmaker from Chavez's socialist PSUV party, had said earlier that National Assembly president Diosdado Cabello must take the helm.

"There is no power vacuum. The National Assembly with its president Diosdado Cabello must take power and later we will go without a doubt to an electoral process," Soto Rojas told state-run television, adding that he backed Maduro as an election candidate."

President Chavez, a charismatic and controversial President, has passed away. Loves him or hates him. He typified the classical "rebel turned revolutionary turned dictator' stereo-type.

Lessons for me are:

1. personal charismatic power is good for the individual but not necessary good for the nation if one is in the national leader role. A nation's fate CANNOT be hinged on one person's life!;

2. no matter how well intending the 'charismatic' leader may be in 'selecting his or her successor', the successor has NO legitimacy if he or she has no credibility besides being the 'hand-picked' heir! This is especially true for a democracy. Even if it is an oppressed and dictatorial regime, the 'hand-picked' heir's sustainability will be in doubt if he or she CANNOT lead a nation! So, the competence and commitment of the 'heir apparent' must be strong;

3. the potentially disastrous consequence of a nation ruled by a 'charismatic' leader who DID NOT anticipate his or her demise and hence did not properly establish a process instead of just rely on 'personal power' can be very real and severe. Many nations fall into chaos and even civil war when many factions other than the 'hand-picked heir' fight to be THE leader. So, if the charismatic leader REALLY has the nation's well being in his or her mind, he or she will NEVER leave a vacuum. Unfortunately, what I am describing is also humanly UNNATURAL in that: when you are in control and develop a BIG Ego, it is very hard for one to recognize the need to develop a robust process that WILL NOT depend on what makes you look good: YOUR personal power!!

So, ONLY the wise and matured leader can 'consciously remind oneself to create a Bigger Good for a larger number of people as much as possible'!!