Daily Times

Parliament is the centre of a democratic system, where the members of parliament, representing their constituencies, strive to act as lawmakers to improve the political delivery of the government through a system of checks and balances. Issues are presented and relevant laws debated, revised, amended or rejected by the majority-vote rule. Lately there has been a debate about parliament being the floor for all reforms: if any other means is adopted, it is equivalent to undermining democracy. However, the effectiveness of parliament, like any other institution, depends on its ability to deliver on its main purpose, which is to safeguard the interests of the voter and ensure that it fulfils the aspirations of each constituency.

In developed democracies, parliamentarians consider themselves accountable to the public as they know that it is the voter who has brought them into power and who will oust them if they do not perform. In the UK, parliamentary expenses of just a few pounds created an uproar in the media and public, and led to many resignations. In Pakistan, to become a member of the National Assembly (MNA) or a provincial Assembly (MPA) is license to act above the law. From fake degrees to fake asset declarations, all is the norm. The minute the number plate changes to have “MNA” written on it, it signifies that you will over-speed, break signals and not pay toll taxes. Their cars of course have to be of the four-wheel variety, with bodyguards inside and security following while in the asset declaration document provided to MNAs, the majority of our present members did not have a single car or even a decent house to live in. That, of course, matches their income declarations and tax declarations that, for many of them, was not more than a few hundred bucks. It definitely does not match the pomp and show one sees on the media when these people are seen disembarking from fancy vehicles and donning designer sunglasses to enter the august houses of parliament.

An MNA or MPA today is not seen as somebody who will bend down to the power of the voter and try to do whatever they can to help retain his/her thumbprint for the next elections but as a man who is surrounded by sycophants who, in turn, spur his desire for power and status by making him act and behave as a man above all discipline or regulations. Every day the media shows the crass arrogance of these so-called representatives of the people, slapping, pushing and cursing public and private individuals and employees for just doing their duty. The Assembly floor itself is more like Hyde Park Corner, which not only boasts censorable verbal exchanges but also physical violence at times. This is the behaviour of our ‘leaders’ who are supposed to be role models for our general public and for our younger generation. The present NA has, in the last year, been full of debates and discourses but very few outcomes. After the first year, not a single bill was passed and enacted by parliament. The Protection of Pakistan Ordinance (PPO) became an Act after one year and huge controversy has ensued. Normally, a divided house does take time but this house has an overwhelming majority of PML-N parliamentarians. Unfortunately, the attendance record of many members is one of the worst in history. The trend is that the higher your designation, the less you appear in parliament. The Senate, the upper house of parliament, had to literally threaten the Prime Minister (PM) to make an appearance in the house.

Though the media is constantly bringing out this parliamentary apathy, no other punitive accountability seems to be implemented on those who constantly express their disdain with their absence. There are two types of accountabilities: one is voter accountability and the other is parliamentary accountability. The parliamentary system for members is clear on benefits receivable in the form of travel and daily allowances, etc, but not on performance measurement such as attendance, and thus there is no compulsion for members to come prepared and be evaluated on performance. Neither is there a party culture where each parliamentary leader gives tasks to his party’s parliamentarians and then holds them accountable.

This lack of accountability stems from the lack of voter accountability. The dependence of their position on the voter brings a huge change in mindset. Bill Clinton was one of the most popular presidents of recent times and he initiated a programme with the aim of “reinventing government”. The core of the programme was to turn the government departments, Senate and Congress members to think of the public as customers who need to be served and satisfied. The programme made them accountable to the voter who has the power to hire and fire them, not their superiors in the ranks. This created a huge perception change in the Democrats’ ratings and also won the party a second term. Here, the indifference and apathy of members of parliament towards voters has been cemented by years of not performing and yet coming back into power. When we see the same faces in parliament, who have been involved in scams and scandals, we normally blame it on the illiterate voter who gets fooled by these people again and again, and then the debate starts on democracy only being for the educated and developed countries. However, in reality, it is not the voters’ unawareness and ignorance that is responsible for this constituency apathy but a manipulated electoral system. Thus, the use of power has been hoarded in a few names and families in Pakistan. In every election, these political monopolies ensure unfair competition and then dictate terms to the public rather than the other way around.

The fact that some movement has been made in parliament to address this flaw in the electoral system is commendable. However, the question remains that the majority of those appointed in the parliamentary committee of electoral reforms are themselves perpetuators of the old system and benefit from it. How do we expect people who have made and enjoyed the fruits of the old system to rock their boat by changing the system? That is where voter awareness and demands for their rights count. Without the voter standing up for his right to punish those defaulting on their commitments and abusing the system to bypass the voter, the counting of the vote will be of no account.

The writer is an analyst and columnist and can be reached at andleeb.abbas1@gmail.com