The Fake Opposition

Raushan Ershad, Photo: Star File

The Jatiya Party (JP), the handmaiden main opposition in parliament, keeps twisting its record. On August 31, its MPs had decided that they would oppose the constitutional amendment bill seeking to restore the Jatiya Sangsad's power to impeach Supreme Court judges for misbehaviour or incapacity. The opposition Chief Whip Tajul Islam Chowdhury and JP MP Moshiur Rahman Ranga, who is also a state minister in the cabinet, informed journalists about their decision. The meeting also decided in principle that the three JP ministers would resign to turn the party into a "real opposition". Their decision has made it plain that they have finally acknowledged that people do no consider them as a "real opposition" as they are in the government and also in the 'opposition'.
According to media reports, Raushan Ershad, the leader of the opposition in parliament, raised the issue of resignation, saying if the JP quits the government, it can play an effective role as the main opposition in the parliament.  The party, however, didn't decide on when it would quit the cabinet. Since then Ershad has been talking about the resignation of his party's MPs from the government.

But the things already took a different turn. It didn't take the JP MPs long to flip-flop. It was visible within a week. They wholeheartedly supported the constitutional amendment bill when it was placed in the parliament last week. What prompted them to change the decision? A senior leader of the party told this correspondent that the government assured them of "bringing the necessary changes to make the constitutional bill even better ".  
However, there is another story behind it. The JP would have faced a peculiar situation if it had opposed the constitutional bill when it was placed in the parliament. The three JP MPs who are now in the council of ministers would found it difficult to stand by the JP's parliamentary party's decision. They are constitutionally bound to defend the cabinet's decision. There is only way for them to resign from the cabinet to oppose the constitutional amendment bill. On the other hand, they will face the risk of loosing their parliament membership if they defy the party's parliamentary party decision. As long as the JP MPs want to retain their ministerial portfolio, they must defend the cabinet's decision in the parliament.  

HM Ershad, Photo: Star File

The constitutional amendment bill may also get passed "unanimously" without a single vote against it. If it happens, will this project a "national consensus" about the constitutional amendment bill? In an ideal situation, one may call it national consensus if the ruling and main opposition parties show such an act of solidarity. But the main opposition JP does not have any credibility. People know how the JP was made the main opposition through the one-sided January 5 parliamentary election held amid a boycott by the BNP-led opposition alliance. The situation outside of the parliament is not comfortable for the government. The constitutional amendment bill has been facing strings of criticism from different quarters including jurists and civil society personalities. The critics have been terming the move as a threat to the independence of the judiciary. They have alleged that the government may try to control the apex court by empowering the parliament to impeach SC judges. In many countries with functional democracy, the parliaments have the powers to impeach judges. But those countries have better political culture and their MPs enjoy more freedom to discharge their parliamentary duties.  
Last Sunday Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told AL Parliamentary Party that she felt fortunate as the government under her leadership had moved to restore the parliament's power to impeach the SC judges. With the amendment passed, the prime minister will have more authority as she dominates the parliament by controlling the ruling party MPs who will not dare to defy the premier's directive.  

The BNP-led opposition alliance is unable to stage any strong protest against the government. The main opposition in the parliament is not in a position to perform independently either. What will set the main opposition free? The only answer is: the resignation of its MPs from the cabinet. Many political observers believe that the JP ministers will quit the government if the government tells them to do so. So, the JP's future course of actions are also dependent on the politics of the ruling AL.

The writer is Senior Reporter, The Daily Star.