Holding the fort in Opposition

LAST Tuesday, we ran an interview by Dr Henry Okole entitled “Holding the fort in solitude”.
It was heart to heart with Dame Carol Kidu, exactly one day before the speaker pronounced that Dame Carol was indeed going to hold the fort alone – as the only member and leader of the opposition since this country adopted the Westminster parliamentary democracy.
Yesterday, her ranks swelled by one in the form of Wabag MP and former deputy prime minister Sam Abal.
Incidentally, Abal is the son of one of the most colourful opposition leaders in the pre-independence House of Assembly, the late Sir Tei Abal.
In that interview, Dame Carol said of the opposition: “Irrespective of where I sit, the opposition has become a shadow of what it was in the past – and what it is supposed to be in a Westminster system.
“The weakness of the opposition is inversely related to the increasing strength of the executive arm of government.” 
Yesterday, Dame Carol said there was so much to do and very few people to do it with.
Can she and her newly-acquired deputy hold the fort and make the opposition work?
They must, for an opposition is crucial in a parliamentary democracy.
In her own words: “The role of the opposition is indispensable to our system of government.”
Absence of opposition parties virtually means one-party rule or the dictatorship of one party.
The opposition makes the functioning of government democratic.
It checks on the government and ensures it keeps within the dictates of the laws and the time-worn traditions and practices of good governance.
A good and vigilant opposition is a sound guarantee against authoritarian rule.
In many ways, the absence of a strong democracy has given rise to many of the current problems we now refer to as a political impasse in PNG.
The opposition’s role in any parliament is valuable and constructive.
It can educate the people and formulate public opinion on all issues of importance to the citizens.
Through its role, the public appreciate better what the executive government is trying to do.
In that way, the opposition does not permit the government to be complacent or to overplay its powers.
A good opposition keeps the government on its toes.
The opposition can use questions to elicit information, call attention notices to draw the attention of government to cases of abuse of power, injustice, malpractices, graft and corruption.
It can use motions to expose lack of confidence and this serves to keep executive government on its toes.
These are the well known weapons in the armoury of the opposition, which in the hand of an effective opposition can be devastating.
But PNG lacks that now.
Dame Carol said: “I have come to realise that the office of the opposition needs restructuring, adequate resources and capacity building.  It requires a proper team of advisers.  Let’s face it; the opposition is supposed to be the alternate government –  the government in waiting. 
“The office of the opposition must be resilient enough to withstand the tides of politics and change.”    
There is much to be done but no workman to do it within the opposition.
There are fewer resources and hardly any time.
It is time many of those who claim to be in the alternate government join the opposition.
Quite realistically, they have been totally shut out and, meantime, they are performing none of the roles they ought to be performing as members of parliament. But whether they do or not we take heart that the opposition if finally in the hands of two individuals who have the heart, if nothing else, to make a difference.
And we take heart in the pledge by the leader: “If I were to be confirmed as leader of the opposition in the next sitting, I will do my utmost best to seek review of the whole parliamentary set-up.
“That entails a review of the opposition structure and resources, and to consider what it would take to strengthen and sustain the responsibilities of the alternate government.”