Chintito
Three-year Parliament
Photo: Star File
The first two years of any government runs like a fairy tale. On the one hand is the basking in the warmth of lokkholokkho votes (even if they be in thousands), a 'like that' good feeling that all the past means and sins have been wiped away by an ever-so-forgetting public, and on the other hand the gratification of having literally thumped the opponents. But there is a third side, perhaps also a fourth.
Overnight the entire state machinery changes its colour.
'I never doubted Sir for one moment that a virtuous man like you could not have had anything to do with the killings in 1971. How old were you then Sir?'
'We always knew Sir that this occupied land belonged to your forefather (also our Sir) even before they came to this land from Afghanistan, or was it Samarkand Sir? We have already put up a new signboard, Sir!'
'You and bomb? You and terrorism? Angel Sir, we used to laugh behind their back even when you were so unfairly put in jail. You and jail Sir, hah!'
In the first few months, the gates of the jail, the thana, and the secret lookups all open wide for the kith and kin of the triumphant to walk out; but just enough so for the vanquished to enter.
There is also the media in almost its totality aiding the victors to blame everything on the immediate past regime. Roads, electricity, water, traffic jam, price of essentials, corruption, hurricanes, divorces, SSC results…
There is also the opportunity to stop all development works initiated by a bygone government as if it had alighted from an enemy planet. Justifying such bold and such patriotic moves also help eat up, well almost the first twenty-four months.
In the beginning of the third year, the cheeks of the politicians in power begin to glow as the rising sun due to ample rest out of jail, no tension, two years of pumping by people, and of course imported apples gifted by beneficiaries. But in actuality, the radiance is the rays of the setting sun.
The voters have waited enough, two years. By then those who voted for the party in power want everything, and those who voted against want more than everything. Every move of the government is suspected and questioned.
The opposition by then have mustered enough issues, and there will always be plenty in the most densely populated country in the world where freedom means 'my way'. They start issuing press releases, and for attestation follow the late night talk shows were the tails of the dovashisare turning. Then they bring out processions, ten persons, fifty, five hundred. Some bad elements in the 'direct action' peaceful michil throw brickbats at the police OF the voters, break cars owned BY the voters, and ignite buses FOR the voters… Police go into action in measures proportionate to the disturbance, and manage to arrest some agitators, some of who are quite pleased seeing as they show the two fingers.
Photo: Prabir Das
The follow-up press conference, hurriedly called often in advance, will label the government as a tyrant, and the next thing you know they are demanding the resignation of the home minister, the finance minister and the prime minister in that order. By then it is almost the end of the third year.
That is why I believe that the length of the Jatiya Sangsad should not be five years, which is far far too long, but for all the above reasons it should be three.
There are some inherent advantages if we do curtail the life of our parliament by two years.
First and foremost it will give forty per cent more people the prospect of becoming MPs. More MPs can also hope to become ministers and Prime Ministers. Come on, we are a large country. 330 seats every five years isnosshi.
It is certain that people, they who matter, or have we forgotten, will get the best out of a three-year parliament because that is the proven stamina of a government.
Also in three years MPs will get the opportunity to make fewer mistakes.
Because elections will be held every three years, voters will have greater control over the parliament. After five years the candidates cannot remember their electors, and to the voter the candidate is absolutely unrecognizable. Three years will not make that much of a difference.
And if people really want continuity, well they could vote them back for another three years, and three more years.
MPs can also focus more on their work: first six months for self-glory and planning, second six months for planning and mobilisation, one year gone, second year implementation, last year continuation of implementation, last six months for evaluation and self-glory, last three months for publicity, last month for packing up, last week for farewell parties, and then it is election time. And for the sake of your voters, please continue with implementation whoever is elected the next time.
In fact, the length of the parliament has been shrinking elsewhere. The maximum length of a UK Parliament was curtailed from seven years to five early in the 20th century. And there was a MPs committee in 2010 working to shorten it even more because the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and Northern Ireland Assembly had four-year terms. It has now emerged that “the expectation of the 1911 changes was that terms were expected to be four years”. Amazing how great people think alike, well almost.
In the opinion of constitution expert Professor Robert Hazell, parliaments went on for five years because “the government had become unpopular and did not want to hold an earlier election”. See how even such a solid and tested democracy also suffers from the pains of longevity. Constitutional law expert Professor Robert Blackburn went harsher by saying that the last year of every five-year parliament has been pretty awful.
The length of parliaments in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, and Japan is four years. Good for them. Australia, New Zealand, and Sweden have had three-year parliament terms. That's more like it. The length of a term in the US House of Representatives is two years, oh heavenly that! But I am not that great an adventurer and would settle for three.
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