Lessons learnt from the CPA meeting

The past few days in October have been most tiresome for Bangladeshis. In front of an international audience, we have had eggs of various description thrown at our national face. Our image also took a battering with slip-shod management of an important international event. We managed to retain our much debated 'most-corrupt' status, failed to present our national anthem at the appropriate time, accorded improper receptions and displayed acrimony when consensus was the required word of the hour. The unfortunate display of arrogance of power left a bitter taste in the mouth for many Bangladeshis. This was also the first time in 92 years that a CPA meeting was held without the presence of those belonging to the Opposition in the host country.

Nevertheless, we have survived the course and hopefully learnt a few lessons.

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The 49th CPA Conference, a major event has come and gone. Attended by over 250 lawmakers from across the Commonwealth, the meeting was important because of what was discussed and the fact that the participants included representatives of populations from all the five continents bound together by a shared colonial past and belief in democracy.

In the course of a week, the CPA assembly focussed on global peace and prosperity, adopted many important decisions related to the strategic plan for the CPA for 2003-2007 and the need for greater cooperation among its parliaments and legislative bodies.

What was relevant was the presence of dialogue and discussion on significant subjects. Knowledge was in the making and thoughts were exchanged at a crucial time of human history when several critical problems are casting their own shadows on international relations -- be it in trade, the common fight against terrorism or the persistent effort to safeguard human rights and democracy.

It was interesting to see how different countries view promotion of parliamentary democracy through the providing of seminars, workshops and professional development opportunities to their parliamentarians and parliamentary staff. Encouraging interaction and exchange of knowledge skills were accepted by participants as fundamental. It was generally agreed that these steps would facilitate good practice of democratic governance and strengthen the institution of the parliament.

One can only hope that representatives of our various political parties were listening carefully to what was being said. There was a lot to be learnt by them.

In this context one needs to refer particularly to the address of the Commonwealth Secretary General Don McKinnon and his stress that partnerships must have the 'maximum practical impact on the ground.' While elaborating on good governance, he correctly underlined the importance of the Government and the Opposition working together responsibly. In our political philosophy, shared by many other developing countries, there is always the approach of 'winner takes all' and (according to McKinnon) the tendency 'to regard victory at the polls as an invitation to capture all democratic and state structures and treat the institutions of state as no more than extensions of the ruling party.' Such a step is probably taken and encouraged to marginalize and completely sideline the Opposition 'rather than work with it.'

In Bangladesh, we have been seeing this evidence for quite some time now. Unfortunately, this leads in turn to the Opposition forsaking the path of constructive engagement. It is here that the Government in power has to remember that the onus is always on it to be seen as even-handed. We might have initiated democracy through free and fair elections but are still unable to recognise that 'the Opposition has a legitimate role and that it must be given a formal place in parliament and other political arrangements.'

This is all the more vital because for the first time we have a situation where the Government in power has been in the Opposition and the Opposition has also been in Government. The poor people of Bangladesh can only hope that our Government will have noted the important philosophical aspects of McKinnon's statement. One can then also reasonably expect the Opposition to function responsibly.

The CPA probably wields insufficient clout in global terms. It however assumes importance in view of the varied nature of its participants. It is also significant because its membership can affect the policies of their respective governments.

Accordingly, one followed with interest their views pertaining to impact of globalisation, promotion of sustainable development and means through which parliamentary democracy can be made more effective. Some of the more noteworthy elements that surfaced through discussion were as follows:

(a) There was need to encourage women to contest elections to representative bodies and to remove barriers to their participation. It was argued that political parties should try to allocate proportionate representation of women in national and state parliaments. It was also agreed that sharing of power and responsibilities between women and men in both public and private spheres would help nation-building. This is indeed a good idea, particularly for countries like Bangladesh with an overwhelming rural population. Having more women in the decision making process will ensure greater success in family planning, gender empowerment and education of the girl child;

(b) The causes of terrorism need to be better understood in order to find appropriate solutions. It was also pointed out in this regard that non-resolution of decades-old Middle-East issues were working as a deterrent to the defusing of a spill-over tensions at various places all over the world. It was interesting to note in this regard the observations of Nigerian Lawmaker Farrouk Lawan who urged for the redefinition of terrorism after Israel's recent uncalled for bombardment of Syria. The participants also significantly agreed that religious fundamentalism was strengthened by flow of funds from illicit narcotics trade, smuggling of weapons and money laundering. It was also mentioned that terrorism of any description could only be curbed through political determination and cooperation. This last factor needs to be carefully sorted out particularly in South Asia;

(c) The most effective manner for achieving balance between the legislative and the executive branches in a parliamentary system of democracy is to consolidate the infrastructure of parliamentary committees. This, it was commonly agreed would ensure executive accountability to the legislature. Indian Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi correctly reiterated the need for the executive branch of the government to be responsive and accountable to parliament. In this regard, there was also consensus that such interaction should not be adversarial in nature. This format of engagement can only be useful for providing every developing country with transparency and accountability. One can only hope that our current government will pay heed to the views expressed in this regard during the CPA meeting. There has to be a more effective parliamentary committee structure within Bangladesh in national interest.;

(d) There was need for undertaking urgent reforms within the United Nations. This, it was felt, would facilitate its principal task of conflict prevention; and

(e) It was important for the developed world to initiate proactive steps to reduce the disparities between the rich and the poorer nations for ensuring a durable global peace and stability. In this regard, it was encouraging to find that the Commonwealth Secretary General thought that the current international trading system was 'unjust.' His observation that most European cows were better off than many living in poorer countries was indeed thought provoking. The adverse effects of subsidy were also highlighted very well with his remarks that US, Europe and Japan continued to subsidise their farmers at the rate of US$ one billion a day while their aid budget was less than that figure per week. The imbalance could hardly have been more stark.

The CPA meeting was important for us in Bangladesh -- for what was said and for what was meant to be read between the lines.

Muhammad Zamir is a former Secretary and Ambassador.