CSS Forums - View Single Post - An Ideal system of Governance in Pakistan; my view

rose_pak · #6 Monday, February 27, 2012

Yes you rightly pointed out that the system I proposed is a bit complex but saying that it will lead to impase, i think, is a bit overstatement.

I have two basic concerns: Firstly, politicians do not have proper knowledge of working of the ministry, when they are given the task they perform poorly. the statements like "degree to degree hoti he .......", "25 bn key notes chap lo to energy crisis khatam ho jaye ga.......", "pia koi dukan naen jo do char dino maen thek ho jaye gi......." etc. apart form that, we are mulling over why ISI is not under interior ministry, why military is powerful than ministry of defence? the answer is their heads - the ministers - are not so powerful - in knowledge. As a scholar puts it "to subdue the military, you should know the job of military more than military does." So out of this reason, I proposed complete separation of powers, enunciated in the constitution as well, between executive and legislature. As I have already mentioned that each technocrat minister would be backed by think tank and parliamentary committee, it means the parliament, elected politicians, would have a say in the policy of the ministry but will not be running by themselves.

Secondly, Pakistan is going through a very crucial time where it is, apart form other issues, wrangled in corruption, mismanagement, funds misuse etc. there is a basic financial rule that a cashier should not be approver, should not be purchaser, should not be auditor and should not be policy making; rather there should be one person for each. a minister who happens to be legislator as well as minister would not do any legislation which will damage his vested interests in the ministry. see how the politicians turn their coats only to get ministries. similarly, a politicians is not only a legislator but also a minister and regulator of local governance in his constituency. in such a scenario, politician does not get time to do his primary work - legislation.

Lastly, USA and France are not homogeneous countries. presidential system is working there, though I am not taking a leaf from their system and what i proposed does include a large pie of power for legislators, hence a mixture of parliamentary, presidential and autocratic systems. As for as your concern about president being alienated from majority power is concerned, the president would be elected by the electorates, on the same pattern as legislators are elected. definitly, every political party would bring its candidate for presidency, hence whoever is elected as president would have backing of a major political party. now in parliamentary elections, if his party fails to secure majority, it would still have a good number of seats given the president, of the same party, has already been elected by the masses.