Pakistan's president-elect Asif Ali Zardari is on the steepest-possible learning curve. Just nine months ago, he was the in-the-shadows husband of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto. On her assassination last December, he was catapulted to the leadership of her Pakistan People's Party and now, with the overwhelming approval of members of parliament, to the most powerful position in the country, the presidency. It is not a job for a person who puts themselves or their political allegiances first; the nation's plight is desperate and he has to rise above politics to help lead it from the abyss.
Mr Zardari has so far not shown that mettle. His image is that of a wheeler-dealer, a person who likes shady, backroom deals to find solutions. His having spent 11 years in prison for unproven corruption and murder charges are the basis for the perception. As unjustified as this may be, his actions during his brief time at the forefront of politics have not helped his cause.
President and former military dictator Pervez Musharraf was forced from office last month because Mr Zardari and other politicians worked together for his removal. But that co-operation has since been absent, most notably with argument over the reinstatement of sacked judges causing coalition partner Nawaz Sharif to split his party from the government. This is not what Pakistan needs at a time of economic strife, with instability spreading from ever-greater violence by militants, and the alliance with the US in trouble following claimed attacks by American soldiers on Pakistani soil. He has to keep the fragile government together so that it can put its energies towards overcoming the challenges it faces.
The order is a tall one, but Mr Zardari has to do his utmost. He can begin by improving his image and acting like a statesman. Ridding the presidency of the powers to sack the parliament and appoint military commanders - changes to the position made by Mr Musharraf in an effort to ensure his political longevity - would be a perfect place to start. From there, through transparency and openness, he must try to bring Pakistan's disparate forces together to help instil stability and find a way out of the mess it is in.