Maravi

Don't oppose a budget that deserves support

COMMENT - The problem with the MMD is that if you have no policies that appeal to the people of the country, once in opposition you can only oppose for the sake of opposing. It would almost make you doubt that parliamentary politics is the right system for national development.

Don't oppose a budget that deserves support
By The Post
Thu 18 Oct. 2012, 12:20 CAT

Generally, the opposition has the constitutional right to oppose anything and everything that the government party tables in Parliament. However, behaving in such a manner will be unreasonable, politically and otherwise, for the opposition. It would actually be irresponsible for the opposition to behave in such a manner. We don't think this is what those who voted for them during the last elections would like to see them do.

It is possible for the opposition to stick to its rights and behave irresponsibly. But there is a political cost to all irresponsible behaviour.
What the Zambian people want is not a sterile contest or unending mock engagements between the opposition and the ruling party in Parliament or outside Parliament.

What Nevers Mumba and other opposition leaders should always bear in mind is that the Zambian people are not fighting for any individual politician's ego, for ideas, for the things in one's head. They are fighting to win material benefits, to live better and in peace, to see their lives go forward, to guarantee the future of their children.

If a politician is seen by the people to be standing in their way to winning material benefits, to living better and in peace, to seeing their lives go forward, and to guaranteeing the future of their children, they will withdraw their support for him.

Let us not forget what happened in Malawi a few years ago during Mbingu wa Mutharika's first term of office as president. The opposition, which was in the majority and under the control of Bakili Muluzi, withdrew its support from wa Mutharika and took it upon itself to shoot down everything he took to Parliament for approval, including the national budget. For five years, wa Mutharika ran government without being able to pass any laws in Parliament.

The opposition frustrated everything he was trying to do. But he governed. However, at the next elections, the people of Malawi sorted out the opposition and voted for wa Mutharika and his parliamentary candidates overwhelmingly, giving him an absolute majority in Parliament.

If the intention of Nevers is to simply frustrate everything, no matter how good it is, that the Patriotic Front government takes to Parliament, he will make a fool of himself and he will be very sorry in the end because the loser will be him and not those in government.

Representatives of the people are not supposed to behave in that way. The votes that the Zambian people gave to the opposition parliamentary candidates were not given to them for personal use, glory, ego or ambition. They were given to them to be used to advance the common good.

And those elected to Parliament and other representative bodies should exercise stewardship and uphold the common good. A person elected to Parliament must remember that he or she is simply a servant or steward entrusted to offer humble service to others, as opposed to owning power or the people he or she is serving. They should therefore be accountable to the people who voted for them; they should work for the common good.

As we have repeatedly pointed out, the common good is the reason for the existence of political, social and economic institutions. It enables people to express commitment and concern for each other as well as attain the fullness of love.

Common good calls upon all politicians, all members of parliament and indeed all persons to contribute and commit themselves responsibly to building a peaceful and just society for all.

The best way for Nevers and all the members of parliament of his party to fulfil their obligations of justice and love for our people is to contribute to the common good. The political power they possess, the seats of Parliament they hold must have as their aim the achievement of the common good. The whole purpose or reason for the existence of these parliamentary seats that some of the MMD politicians hold today is the realisation of the common good.

In a democracy where members of parliament are chosen by the people and for the people, such members of parliament should view themselves as being representatives of the people and not necessarily of the presidents of their political parties. Our members of parliament should listen to the people, respect the people and work for the welfare of all the people instead of just trying to satisfy the egos or political ambitions of their party presidents.

They should devote themselves to the welfare of all. Their authority as members of parliament will be exercised legitimately if it is committed to the common good of society and not to the narrow and selfish political interests of their party presidents. Let our members of parliament exercise their authority with care.

Politics should be honest and responsible. This is so because it is an effective way of serving others and working for the integral development of one's country. And political authority, at whatever level, must be exercised within the limits of the moral order. The proper role of members of parliament is to serve the people.

And overall, the Zambian people should be concerned with the way their members of parliament represent them and conduct themselves when it comes to important national issues. If they fall short of their expectations, they should sort them out at the next elections. And this is why elections are very important.
Let's create a civic order in which duties are ever more diligently and more effectively observed.

There are better and more legitimate ways which Nevers and the opposition can use to unseat the Patriotic Front government at the next elections. But whatever they do, in their quest for power, it would be unwise for them to try and remove the Patriotic Front from office on the back of national failure.

There will always be sufficient grounds without that to argue for their removal at the next elections. If they want to be seen to be responsible politicians, they should behave in a patriotic manner and wish to see their country succeed in its economic and social endeavours regardless of who is running government. With or without them in government, they should work to see Zambia move forward. We should not see them gloat over national reverses. We should see them wish the economy of our country well.

Trying to use their number in Parliament to shoot down a budget that everyone sees as being reasonable or good for the country will backfire on Nevers and his members of parliament. Let them oppose what deserves to be opposed and support that which deserves to be supported. If they reverse this, they will soon find themselves in political problems; they will lose the respect and support of the people. Don't oppose a budget that deserves support!

Labels: 2013 BUDGET (ZM), OPPOSITION

posted by MrK @ 8:16 PM