By Vishal Chettri THE ROLE, RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE OPPOSITION It has long been acknowledged by democratic theory that the principle of legitimate political opposition is one of the most fundamental components of any liberal democracy. “Democracy is an ideology of opposition as much as it is one of government”. WHAT IS THE OPPOSITION? A properly functioning constitutional democratic system is about choice. In such a system, there must be a constant reminder to the populace that there is a viable alternative to the incumbent political grouping that holds the potential of moving the state onto a qualitatively higher development plan. The institutions and bodies that play this role are generally referred to loosely as opposition. WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE OPPOSITION? The traditional role of the opposition can be classified under three broad headings: The voice of the voiceless, alternative to the ruling government and official opposition. THE VOICE OF THE VOICELESS: The opposition expresses the view of a significant section of the electorate and helps to ensure that concerns of the various groups and other interests not represented in government are not forgotten or trampled upon. It also serves as a vent for the pent-up expression of those whose grievances and voices would otherwise go unheard. This role builds the confidence of the people and reassures them that their concerns and interests are ably expressed and protected. ALTERNATIVE TO THE RULING GOVT: Properly functioning democratic systems are about choice. There must therefore be a constant reminder to the electorate that there is a viable alternative to the incumbent government. One that has a real or imagined potential to improve the quality of life of the people and let them realize their aspirations this is done by the opposition. In doing so, the opposition presents itself as a viable alternative to the ruling government. It may do this by presenting an alternative ideological platform or simply show that it has a greater competence to govern. OFFICIAL OPPOSITION: The third role of the opposition flows out of the first two. It is from this role that it derives its name. It is the duty of the opposition to oppose the government in power. This is the most popular and often confused role. The opposition has the duty to oppose the government in power, but to what end? The ultimate purpose must be to persuade the electorate to vote out the incumbent government and put the opposition in power so that it may pursue the policies it believes are best for the state. For this purpose the opposition will like to highlight and expose those aspects of the ruling government’s policies and nature, which it believes not to be in the national interest. The opposition must expose the other side of the coin that is not shiny and which government will otherwise prefer to hide from the public view. That is focus on the negative. This role is vital for protecting the society from the excesses and corruption of power that innately exist wherever executive power resides. THE RIGHTS OF THE OPPOSITION: The Opposition must have the right to operate in a free and democratic atmosphere. Laws that put fetters on freedom of association, speech, movement, assembly, manifestations and demonstrations are inimical to the existence of the opposition. The Opposition also has the right to have free access to the people. Laws that ban gatherings, rallies and durbars by opposition elements have no place in multi party democracy and must be outlawed. The opposition must have access to state media. There must be equity in the coverage and reportage of opposition activities in relation to the coverage of activities of government and government Dept. THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE OPPOSITION: The opposition has the responsibility to be fair in the criticism of government policies. In all cases alternative proposals, as to the best way forward must be laid on the table by the opposition. The Opposition also has the responsibility to uphold and defend the sovereignty, unity and the national integrity of the country. It should therefore not engage in activities that could undermine the unity and stability of the state. In matters of natural disaster or at the time of state emergency, the opposition has a responsibility to join hands with government to tackle the emergency. In a nutshell the opposition has an equal responsibility as the government to protect, defend and uphold the constitutional order, the rule of law and the peace and stability of the state. CONCLUSION: If democracy is to be preserved as a viable mode of governance, then the opposition must fearlessly perform its role. The opposition can perform its role fearlessly and effectively, only when it is recognised, accorded rights and enabled to act responsibly. It takes different shades of opinions and ideologies to fashion a dynamic democracy. All what I have been saying about the role, rights and responsibilities of the opposition is to drive home the point that in a true democratic system, the opposition is as important as the government.
Posted on: Tue, 20 May 2014 03:40:36 +0000
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