Power without responsibility is a fraud on the people
The decision to form what has been termed as the ‘Nagaland United Government’ by the present NDPP-led PDA government along with the opposition NPF in the name of unity and solution is hardly convincing. Governance and the constitutional obligation of an elected government have nothing to do with the ongoing political negotiations between the Government of India and the Naga Political Groups (NPGs) or the question of unity among the NPGs.
What makes it even more bizarre is the fact that there is already a parliamentary panel on the Naga issue represented by members from both the ruling and the opposition. The PDA government deciding to abdicate its governance responsibility and the NPF to absolve itself from playing the role of a responsible opposition is driven by misplaced reasoning. Political solution, reconciliation or coming together of the NPGs should not be mixed up with the functioning of parliamentary democracy.
The Chief Minister and the ruling alliance should instead focus on providing good governance to the State and at the same time fulfilling the mandate on which they have been elected—corruption-free government under the slogan change is coming. If at all, the Parliamentary Panel on the Naga issue, already represented by both the ruling and opposition, should come out with a clear formulation/draft and timeline for the NPGs to work together towards one solution.
People of Nagaland can do without a ‘role model opposition-less government’. They would rather have the elected government and opposition perform their respective constitutional obligation. As rightly noted by the American writer Walter Lippmann, ‘…in a democracy, the opposition is not only tolerated as constitutional, but must be maintained because it is indispensable.’
In a representative democracy like ours, people exercise their adult franchise to elect the legislature and to which the real executive/government, namely the council of ministers shall be ‘responsible’. Collective responsibility is, therefore, a basic feature of the constitution and it is for the legislative assembly to enforce the collective responsibility of the council of ministers to itself as provided under Art 164 (2). The people of Nagaland deserve a responsible government and a responsible opposition.
In an opposition-less government there can be no ministerial responsibility or any effective supervision over the government of the day. For instance we all know the important role played by the Legislature when it comes to money bills and spending power of the government.. The constitution provides that no money shall be appropriated except in accordance with law. It follows that the government cannot spend public money without parliamentary sanction. Financial control by the legislature provides the checks and balances.
But without the opposition, the government of the day enjoys power without responsibility with unfettered control over resources. It does not require rocket science to understand that without an opposition in the Legislative Assembly, Nagaland will witness an absolute and autocratic government which is not only unhealthy for democracy but a fraud on the constitution of India and the people of Nagaland.
The Nagaland United Government, even if it goes ahead, is detrimental to the essence of representative democracy as it does not represent the views of the electorate faithfully. The spirit of the constitution, therefore, demands that the Chief Minister should first tender his resignation along with the council of minister and then reconstitute the new government, if the situation so warrants.
Elected leaders should not act in a way that ridicules the institution of democracy.
Issued by The Naga Rising on public interest
