Expanding the parliament's size

But this significant move in a vital area with great import to our political life is unexpectedly made known by the PM in her meeting with four-party coalition partners. The BNP secretary general has so much as suggested that the decision to raise the number of MPs has been 'finalised'. How could it be, when the issue demanded national consensus. What is the government's rationale for 100 more seats to the 300 seats for direct election. Or, indeed, what criterion has it used in determining the additional number of women's seats -- a paltry 20 over the erstwhile 30 which, for all one knows, gave a raw deal to the women comprising half the population?

A question-mark, therefore, dangles on the soundness of the decision. The representational inadequacies of the parliament, in the structural sense, that is, have been the subject-matter of continual discourse among the political parties including the opposition, the civil society leaders, the women activist groups and the academics. Without consulting them or even having a public debate, the government goes about raising the number of seats. Doesn't it have far-reaching delimitation implications, let alone the fact that a constitutional amendment is required?

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Where is the ownership of all stakeholders behind this? Potentially, we believe, it provided a fertile ground for the government to engage the opposition in a dialogue. Possibly, the opposition would have reacted positively to such an offer for talks given the stake. Even if they would not sit face to face with the ruling party, they could at least put forward their suggestions. In any event, we would like to see the opposition share their thoughts with the public. As for the government, they must make an earnest effort to initiate a process of consultation designed to reach a national consensus on this issue of vital national concern.