please if you are lazy do not bother to read it or you cannot comprehend.There seems to be a common misconception in the so- called
‘developing world’ that the role of opposition parties , as the name
suggests , is limited to opposing everything or anything an incumbent
government proposes or suggests . But contrary to this , in emerging
democracies around the world the opposition has been playing an
increasingly important role in shaping policy agendas , conducting civic
education , and fighting corruption, singly or in alliance with other
entities.
However this fact has been largely undermined and has remained
unappreciated. Typically ruling parties continue to dig deep into the
national treasury and use official resources to out - compete opposition
parties . Opposition parties continue to be victims of legal and political
restrictions designed by the incumbent regimes. Such actions are
clearly seen in the UWP ’s allegation that access was denied them to
the state -owned DBS radio during the last General Election . If true , it
is not a unique case . Opposition parties in developing countries
around the globe face an un- leveled political battlefield .
Faced with these challenges what role does the opposition play in an
emerging democracy? What function does it serve? What can it do to
promote the democratic process ?
In order to answer this question it is important to briefly define the
word “ democracy.” Ideally democracy guarantees the freedom to form
and join organizations (such as political parties ); freedom of
expression; the right to alternative sources of information , guaranteed ,
among other things, by a free press that is unencumbered by
restrictive state legislation ; right to vote or be voted into public office;
regular, free and fair elections; and the right to private property.
Interestingly, in rather recent times democracy’ s list has been
expanded to include the “ right to good governance. ”
I think this last point opens even more avenues for the opposition to
actively involve itself in the democratic process because in many parts
of the developing world the populace has been led to believe that
democracy is simply the casting of ballots every five years or so and
the government is to be left to its own accord until election time
comes around again.
Within the context of the above the role of the opposition is without
doubt critical and it serves very important functions. Below I shall
propose some points which I think opposition parties should endeavor
to adopt in order to keep the democratic process alive and probably
even increase their chances at the next polls .
First, the opposition should have the capacity to promote responsible
and reasoned debate , particularly after an election and the “silly
season ” has dissipated . Keeping issues alive and on the front burner is
crucial but the opposition must be able to dance the fine line between
keeping them alive and remaining non- divisive. Debating is not simply
screaming one’ s opinion at each other but is a form interactive
argument and should not be “way out there, ” lacking in substance , not
fully thought out , or ambiguous. Through healthy debates the
opposition might be able to promote some kind of “national
conversation” and push democratic discussion to a higher level of
political development and maturity .
After an election politicians generally tend to disappear and are hardly
seen again until the next polls. It is no secret this happens in Dominica
and voters are left to wonder where the people who sat with them and
even ate their food had gone too . This is even more prominent among
winners on the government side who generally feel warm and snug in
their victory and who later come up with the cheap excuse that they
have “ministerial duties” to perform . A well organized opposition
should be able to move in and fill in that void , maintaining contact and
building networks with the voter-citizen , ordinary people , the
oppressed , the marginalized, the disenfranchised and demonstrating to
them that democracy and politics are not limited to only casting
ballots . This creates a bond between the citizens and the opposition
party and if maintained will become crucial during the next election
season .
Thirdly, opposition parties should be able to act as some kind of
training ground for future leaders . In some countries opposition
parties normally form “ shadow cabinets ” where members of the party
are designated cabinet portfolios reflecting the incumbent government .
I think this is a great idea because shadow cabinet members are given
the opportunity to start acquiring their own network of contacts and
developing strategies within their specific portfolios making it an easy
transition into a ministerial job should they win the next election .
Many times when a party comes to power its members are assigned
ministerial portfolios and they have no idea of what is going on or
where to start . Nothing is more detrimental to good governance than a
clueless government .
“Shadow cabinet” members who enter government portfolios with at
least an idea of what they should do, I believe, has a better chance of
being successful than someone who doesn’ t.
Fourthly , opposition parties hold the government to account for its
commissions or omissions . It serves as a watchdog making sure that
the government acts within the scope of the law , pointing out cases of
corruption, nepotism and the like. This is crucial because it keeps the
government on its toes and ensures a high level of transparency in
state matters.
I mentioned in a previous article that the opposition should present
itself as a viable alternative to the incumbent government or a
“government in waiting” with all the mechanisms in place to take on
the reins of power . This is important because if the government let
the voters down citizens need to know the country is in ‘safe hands’ if
the opposition becomes the government . A well -oiled , well maintained
“government in waiting” attracts not only potential voters but new
members who may want to join the party and play important roles in
it .
The sixth and final point I want to make is that the opposition can
strengthen the culture of democracy from within the party itself . The
old adage that ‘charity starts at home ’ comes to mind here . An
opposition that promotes open and reasoned debate during delegates’
conferences , advocate free and fair internal party elections and
ensures accountable use of party finances is more likely to carry these
traits into its administration. An opposition that suffers from internal
strife and lack of internal organization simply cannot take the reins of
power and be successful . Instead it will be a disaster and there are no
shortages of these in the developing world.
The real work of the opposition begins the day after a General Election
and it should not simply pack up and go home. While in opposition
political parties should endeavor to build strong party institutions with
vibrant internal democracy . The goal is to deepen democracy within
the party before it can become champions of national democracy and
good governance . Democracy cannot thrive without a viable and
vibrant opposition.

moderator you mean this article do not make front page