Aung San Suu Kyi - Exemplary leadership

It has become almost everyday to complain that we lack political leadership.

Sadly, it is not as easy as it might be to refute that accusation. It is possible though for politicians of all hues to take comfort in the reality that this judgement can be based on unrealistic expectations.

A political figure who has epitomised effective, defiant and unwavering leadership visited our shores briefly yesterday. Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest or in prison for 15 of the last 24 years until her release last November, has come to symbolise the undeniable power of a electoral mandate secured in the face of autocracy.