The Supremacy of the Parliament

05-03-10

The Supremacy of the parliament cannot be over projected. In every democratic set-up, parliament is technically one of the most important organs. The peoples will, should reign as priority in all decision-making, and making a direct impact on the lives of people and the society they dwell in. Elected representatives are the voice for taking forward, and implementation of the decisions of the assemblies, for the welfare and protection of the people, their rights, their issues and creating a direct access where people can without any hindrance meet their elected representatives.
The recent parliamentary committee on constitutional reforms recommendation on the process of judicial appointments is a move in the right direction. By taking into account the importance of joint committee in nominating and approving the process of judicial appointments. In the backdrop of the latest near-fiasco, when the President and the Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry were embroiled in an open confrontation, where Mr. Zardari had gone overboard by bypassing standard legal process of appointments. Here, it would be appropriate to mention that certain important changes have been brought about in the charter of democracy. The more important of which under COD was the judicial commissions recommendation of three names in judicial vacancies sent to the Prime Minister, who obviously would choose only one and send to the parliamentary committee. Doubts and misgivings would again rise on the Prime Minister's choice of names.
Henceforth, only one name would be sent by judicial committee to the PM, who shall forward the single name for due process. They are obviously many other steps to this procedure such as the inclusion of the bar council members. Much is being written about this entire appointment system in the media, some are convinced that the final say of the people in choosing senior members of the judiciary through their representatives have been curtailed. Such arguments can only hold true in a democratic set-up, which actually has the welfare of the masses as its prime objective. Unfortunately, the forms of democracy we have and are experiencing in our country has run short on many fronts. People or the masses are not the primary players in our democratic government. They have fallen down the ladder to some tiny corner at the bottom. Their voices have been drowned, and over powered by personal and vested interests of their elected leaders.
The people are like forlorn children awaiting miracles. They have unfortunately been let down so many times, that they fear that hypocrisy and falsehood has become a trademark of their elected representatives. It is only when parliaments and its members rise above their self that people shall regain their confidence. It is only when all the political parties and their leadership stops to rethink what their weaknesses have been. Their stagnant policies which has further alienated them from their voters, their turning a blind eye to brazen methods of acquiring personal gratifications, their submission on issues, which are the prime concerns of the people.
Unless political leaderships realises that truth cannot be changed and neither will it pass away; so it would be beneficial that the sooner they realise the damage they have and are afflicting upon the people, the earlier will be the re-birth of a democratic dispensation in its true form. Than only can the supremacy of the parliament be upheld and revived.