Government-Opposition squabbling

Political temperatures are rising with the Opposition adopting an adversarial posture - its natural role - and challenging government policies and actions both inside and outside Parliament. Speaking in Lahore on Sunday, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani accused the Opposition of seeking a 'shortcut' to power and looking for some 'miracle' to happen. Change, he averred, would come only through elections due in 2013. Given our chequered political history any reference to a shortcut to power can easily act as an anxiety trigger not only for the political class but also the general public. The remarks, however, were related to the main opposition party, the PML-N, campaign to build a case against the government on charges of governance failure and corruption in order to demand an early election. The Prime Minister put things in context when he said those trying to create problems for the PPP government were afraid of its victory in Senate election next March, and did not want it to present its fifth budget. As it is, the government on its own lacks the numbers to win majority of seats that would be up for election in March. So it has been offering disparate parliamentary groups and parties all sorts of incentives to garner support. The Nawaz League is working on a counter-strategy of its own. A few days ago, its new ally, PML-Q dissident group in the Punjab Assembly, sent out a feeler about dissolving the provincial assembly - which forms part of the Senate electoral college - drawing criticism from different quarters. The Nawaz League quickly distanced itself from the Q League's stance, but noises emanating from its side later suggested that the party legislators might resign en masse from the assemblies, putting the government in a quandary. It would have the option to hold by-elections to fill-in the vacated seats, but the resultant situation might unsettle things to a point where calling general elections could become inevitable. This may not be a morally correct way for either side to behave, but as long as they act within the confines of the Constitution, there should be little cause for concern. Talking of distortions in the Constitution made by a military dictatorship, Gilani made two claims that do not sit well with the people's democratic sensibilities. First, he claimed that with the passage of the 18th Amendment, the PPP government had helped Nawaz Sharif by repealing an article introduced by General Musharraf that barred a person from becoming prime minister or chief minister the third time. Second, he said "even peons do not like to share their powers, but the President handed over all his authority to the Prime Minister and Parliament." The truth of the matter is that the PPP did not have the requisite two-thirds majority to overturn the changes the Musharraf regime had inserted in the Constitution. The Amendment was passed unanimously with the support of all parties as a collective democratic duty rather than as a favour to one or the other party or individual. As for the President ceding the powers a dictator had concentrated in his office, there was no option for the PPP government but to let the Prime Minister's office and Parliament play their designated roles. This nation having struggled long and hard for the restoration of democracy deserves a higher level of political debate than this. Copyright Business Recorder, 2011