Political heat rising

The deadline the PML-N had set for the implementation of its 10-point reform agenda that it had presented to the government has expired, without the two sides having reached a satisfactory conclusion. Going by the statements of PML-N leaders this could spell the end of the reconciliation process, and the beginning of yesteryears' politics of confrontation, which caused much harm to these two parties and the entire democratic system.
Speaking to a parliamentary delegation on Wednesday, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani stressed the need for continuing the dialogue with the Opposition. He said that the process of consultation and dialogue should not be held hostage to a timeframe. Indeed, implementation of the 10-point agenda entailed a huge task. No one expected full implementation within the 45-day timeline the Nawaz League had given the government. Yet it was not enough for the Prime Minister to express a willingness to talk; he needed to walk the talk as well.
There were things that could have been done within the stipulated timeframe, and for others some initial steps could have been taken to show sincerity of purpose. The government faltered even where there was no apparent reason to resist reform. One obvious example is that of the point pertaining to the reorganisation of the Election Commission (EC). The PPP and the PML-N being the two major parties, it is equally important for both to ensure the EC's independence so that the usual suspects cannot steal their mandate, like it is believed to have been the case in certain instances in the past. Yet it was not until the end of the two parties' talks, ie, on Tuesday evening, that the government announced the setting up of a parliamentary committee to take up restructuring of the EC.
Similarly, an independent accountability commission could have been formed by putting on the fast track a bill that has been sitting in Parliament for long. The government did reduce the cabinet size, but wouldn't accept the other half of the proposal that calls for a 30 percent cut in government expenditure. Another important step that could have been taken within the 45-day period was the removal of "government elements" accused of corruption. Those occupying high public offices are expected to set equally high standards of moral behaviour. There may be no truth in the allegations in question, but these need to be disproved. It is a tradition in most functioning democracies for public officials thus accused to resign so they cannot influence the legal process. They rejoin only if cleared. It needs to be said though that the malaise is not peculiar to any one party. It is imperative therefore that an independent accountability commission is set up to hold all wrongdoers accountable in an impartial and transparent manner.
For its part, the PML-N also needs to show greater patience in the spirit of the Charter of Democracy. Its decision to oust the PPP from the Punjab government alliance to replace it with Q-League dissenters, by bending the rules, will not engender confidence. It must not vitiate the atmosphere any further. The party needs to soften its stance on the reform agenda deadline as long as the government is willing to implement it. What matters is action, not the sequence in which the agenda is put into effect. Understandably, the Nawaz League wants to fend off, albeit reluctantly, the 'friendly opposition' label its detractors have been hurling at it, and it also has to keep an eye on the next election while dealing with the issues at hand, and hence may find it prudent to start toughening its position vis-à-vis the government. But it ought to tread its way forward carefully to avoid harming democratic stability in any way. Political heat must be kept at a temperate level. This nation desperately needs a break from months or years of economic gloom and political squabbling.