A very learned friend was a participant in an IRC discussion.

The IRC discussion was about the local political scene purportedly mandating paper qualifications for credible candidature. I was told that a lot of good arguments were thrown up and they are in short summarized hereinbelow.

I have reproduced these with the kind permission of the author, which until he tells me that he does not mind being named, i shall not name him

1. Having paper qualifications has little to do with integrity.

2. Political education and savviness is not usually formally taught.

3. Not having paper qualifications does not mean a person does not have an education i.e. he can be self taught

4. There is also the question of who should decide what the formal criteria for the eligibility of candidates ought to be.

5. The requirement of paper qualifcations for candidates reserves the right to rule to th[...]