![\"\"](\"http:\/\/dominicanewsonline.com\/dno\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/commentary1.jpg\" "\\"commentary\\"")
There seems to be a common misconception in the so-called \u2018developing world\u2019 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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
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?<\/p>\n
In order to answer this question it is important to briefly define the word \u201cdemocracy.\u201d 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\u2019s list has been expanded to include the \u201cright to good governance.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
First, the opposition should have the capacity to promote responsible and reasoned debate, particularly after an election and the \u201csilly season\u201d 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\u2019s opinion at each other but is a form interactive argument and should not be \u201cway out there,\u201d lacking in substance, not fully thought out, or ambiguous. Through healthy debates the opposition might be able to promote some kind of \u201cnational conversation\u201d and push democratic discussion to a higher level of political development and maturity.<\/p>\n
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 \u201cministerial duties\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
Thirdly, opposition parties should be able to act as some kind of training ground for future leaders. In some countries opposition parties normally form \u201cshadow cabinets\u201d 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.
\n\u201cShadow cabinet\u201d 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\u2019t.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
I mentioned in a previous article that the opposition should present itself as a viable alternative to the incumbent government or a \u201cgovernment in waiting\u201d 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 \u2018safe hands\u2019 if the opposition becomes the government. A well-oiled, well maintained \u201cgovernment in waiting\u201d attracts not only potential voters but new members who may want to join the party and play important roles in it.<\/p>\n
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 \u2018charity starts at home\u2019 comes to mind here. An opposition that promotes open and reasoned debate during delegates\u2019 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There seems to be a common misconception in the so-called \u2018developing world\u2019 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…","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25024","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n