As the super flood continues to wreak havoc all around the country, an inevitable debate has sprung up over the role of our politicians in times of such crises. First President Asif Ali Zardari was criticised for not being by the peoples side during such tragic times. Then the government called off the National Assembly session scheduled to be held on August 9 to ensure that the parliamentarians remained close to their constituents.
However, the question that those defending the president asked can also be asked of the parliamentarians: will their presence make any difference to the flood victims?
So far it seems that members of the National Assembly from flood-hit areas have done little but complain about the lack of assistance and coordination extended to them by their respective district administrations and the provincial or federal governments. Supporting some of their allegations were reports that government functionaries were only responding to the SOS calls of ruling party parliamentarians and ignoring the ones from the opposition.
In such times, however, it is difficult to figure out how much of the blame game is real and how much of it is a publicity stunt. Such is the war of words that the simmering tensions between the opposition PML-N and the ruling PPP have started boiling over. The top leadership does not forget to take swipes at its political rivals during their non-stop visits to the flood-hit areas. And each one of them seems to be surrounded by television channel cameras to record each moment be it a dig against a rival or the comforting of a victim.
But truth be told, what this statement journalism helps achieve apart from securing a photo op for the politicians and others is unclear.
Under a parliamentary form of government, such as Pakistans, civic amenities are not the headache of legislatures or lawmakers. Those are the responsibility of the local governments local councillors as the directly elected representatives of a city, town or village have to ensure whether or not sewerage lines are blocked, municipal workers are regularly sweeping the streets and roads and voters have potable water.
Unfortunately, Pakistan has simply failed to develop a working and operational system of local governments. Every military dictator and civilian setup in the country has tried to establish politically convenient or suitable local governments of their own choice, but none of them lasted. A major reason for this is that the national level politicians in Pakistan realise that their election to the parliament depends on their ability to deliver taps, electricity, education (all local government level responsibilities) to their voters than their vision and their stand on policies and legislation. Hence, they do not want local governments to last because then the members of the provincial and National Assembly would have to share development funds and the credit for the development with the former. Parliamentarians in Pakistan, instead of taking an active part in legislation, need to expend their energies on the petty issues of their voters.
This is why Gen Pervez Musharrafs much talked about devolution plan was done away by an ordinance promulgated by President Asif Ali Zardari; under it, local governments in all the four provinces ceased to exist after December 31, 2009 and the provincial governments were asked to make arrangements for new elections. Unsurprisingly, none of the provincial setups have bothered to make any progress on the issue. In Punjab, the ruling PML-N does not want to provide any political space to the PML-Q, in Sindh, the MQM and PPP cannot see eye to eye over the issue, in KP, ANP confronts the other political parties. In Balochistan, where the provincial level politics is largely controlled by the heads of various tribes, the local government elections would turn into a contest between personalities instead of political parties.
But this is a tragedy as local governments usually play a leading role in rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts in crisis situations. Unfortunately, at the moment this important link is completely missing in Pakistan.
The directly elected members of the parliament and provincial assemblies are trying to play multiple roles during the current crisis; overseeing rescue and relief efforts in their constituencies, striving to generate funds and help, and above all ensuring that the efforts are registering with their party high commands and with the media. And the juggling act means that one or the other ball is slipping out of their hands. In other words, they are not being able to do a good job on anyone task.
If the local governments were still in place, the ideal situation would have witnessed parliamentarians liaising with the former for speedy relief efforts. Democratic governance means the involvement of the people in the decision-making processes. And for this we need an effective system of local government throughout the country. But will those in charge of legislation ever allow this?
By Khawar Ghumman
-via http://dawn.com.pk/wps/wcm/connect/...cians,-better-placed-to-handle-calamities-380
However, the question that those defending the president asked can also be asked of the parliamentarians: will their presence make any difference to the flood victims?
So far it seems that members of the National Assembly from flood-hit areas have done little but complain about the lack of assistance and coordination extended to them by their respective district administrations and the provincial or federal governments. Supporting some of their allegations were reports that government functionaries were only responding to the SOS calls of ruling party parliamentarians and ignoring the ones from the opposition.
In such times, however, it is difficult to figure out how much of the blame game is real and how much of it is a publicity stunt. Such is the war of words that the simmering tensions between the opposition PML-N and the ruling PPP have started boiling over. The top leadership does not forget to take swipes at its political rivals during their non-stop visits to the flood-hit areas. And each one of them seems to be surrounded by television channel cameras to record each moment be it a dig against a rival or the comforting of a victim.
But truth be told, what this statement journalism helps achieve apart from securing a photo op for the politicians and others is unclear.
Under a parliamentary form of government, such as Pakistans, civic amenities are not the headache of legislatures or lawmakers. Those are the responsibility of the local governments local councillors as the directly elected representatives of a city, town or village have to ensure whether or not sewerage lines are blocked, municipal workers are regularly sweeping the streets and roads and voters have potable water.
Unfortunately, Pakistan has simply failed to develop a working and operational system of local governments. Every military dictator and civilian setup in the country has tried to establish politically convenient or suitable local governments of their own choice, but none of them lasted. A major reason for this is that the national level politicians in Pakistan realise that their election to the parliament depends on their ability to deliver taps, electricity, education (all local government level responsibilities) to their voters than their vision and their stand on policies and legislation. Hence, they do not want local governments to last because then the members of the provincial and National Assembly would have to share development funds and the credit for the development with the former. Parliamentarians in Pakistan, instead of taking an active part in legislation, need to expend their energies on the petty issues of their voters.
This is why Gen Pervez Musharrafs much talked about devolution plan was done away by an ordinance promulgated by President Asif Ali Zardari; under it, local governments in all the four provinces ceased to exist after December 31, 2009 and the provincial governments were asked to make arrangements for new elections. Unsurprisingly, none of the provincial setups have bothered to make any progress on the issue. In Punjab, the ruling PML-N does not want to provide any political space to the PML-Q, in Sindh, the MQM and PPP cannot see eye to eye over the issue, in KP, ANP confronts the other political parties. In Balochistan, where the provincial level politics is largely controlled by the heads of various tribes, the local government elections would turn into a contest between personalities instead of political parties.
But this is a tragedy as local governments usually play a leading role in rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts in crisis situations. Unfortunately, at the moment this important link is completely missing in Pakistan.
The directly elected members of the parliament and provincial assemblies are trying to play multiple roles during the current crisis; overseeing rescue and relief efforts in their constituencies, striving to generate funds and help, and above all ensuring that the efforts are registering with their party high commands and with the media. And the juggling act means that one or the other ball is slipping out of their hands. In other words, they are not being able to do a good job on anyone task.
If the local governments were still in place, the ideal situation would have witnessed parliamentarians liaising with the former for speedy relief efforts. Democratic governance means the involvement of the people in the decision-making processes. And for this we need an effective system of local government throughout the country. But will those in charge of legislation ever allow this?
By Khawar Ghumman
-via http://dawn.com.pk/wps/wcm/connect/...cians,-better-placed-to-handle-calamities-380
