this is pretty much what the shura (in the upper tier). for the lower tier perhaps one may look at the system in iran. in the lower cadre however what Islamic shariah demands are appointments. in election campaigns of course the first thing sacrificed is calls and promises for actual implementation or enforcement of Islam. people will not vote for a so-called Mullah even if he is on lower tier. elections assumes that people know collectively what is better for them , when in fact they would always , collectively, go towards the easier options rather than the correct ones. unless of course one has a population that is majorly pious. plus such elections would retain the corrupt civil servants etc in the public service (after many elections in pakistan and many votes they are still there, but with different parties). such elections would also require a near to 80-90 % turnout (which is rare) and also clean fair elections. then again in Islam the preferred practice has always been appointments and not self-promotion (as in asking to be appointed) which pretty much nullifies candidacy. (many people who are pro-democracy make the grave error in assuming that in shariah every appointment is a religious scholar when in fact the person can be anyone who is upright (and preferably religious), it is just that the appointment made is by a scholar)