WHAT transpired between MMA's Montana Go[ Rahman and Mr. Kishan Bhel in the National Assembly earlier in the week makes us hang our heads in shame. The Member of a "graduate" Assembly exhibited utter contempt for democracy, civilized behaviour and dignity of the House. Montana Go[ Rahman, NINA of the Mutlehidas Majlis-e-Amal, had just finished thanking Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz for having arranged supply of Sui gas to his constituency, which in any case benefited every one in the area across the board, PML (Nawaz) MP Kishen Bhel started vomiting venom. He called the honourable MNA a court Maulvci and derided at his role as a religious leader and contemptuously advised him to go to a seminary to teach the Holy Quran. This infuriated the MMA Member which led to a sort of a fist right.. This demonstrated non-Muslim Parliamentarian's ire against a practising Muslim. The honourable MP belonging to an Opposition party faded to appreciate that in a democratic set-up good actions of the Government in power do not have to be unnecessarily opposed. A good deed by the Prime Minister was rightly lauded by the MMA'S NINA in the best democratic tradition.
The entire episode leaves a bad taste in the mouth. The honourable Speaker's attempts to rind an amicable solution outside the House have not succeeded so far. All groups in the National Assembly want this to be resolved outside the Assembly lest wrong signals go out. The MMA had turned down PML (Nawaz)'s unconditional offer of apology for indecent conduct of its member. The MMA insists that membership of MNA Kishan Bhel be suspended. This demand is supported by Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Slier Afghan Niazi though some Opposition MNAs charge the Government of exploiting the incident to divide the Opposition. As the erring NINA is a Hindu, it is feared by some that this may trigger a HinduMuslim tussle in the province of Sindh. This is a far-fetched conclusion. The matter is simple and need not be confused.
The honourable MNA of the Opposition has thrown to winds all principles of decency. His remarks are not becoming of an educated person who is also the Member of the Parliament composed of people with qualifications of graduation and above. The misconduct of an educated MNA deserves to be condemned and must entail punitive action to deter others to repeat such an unfortunate Conduct. One only wonders when some people sitting in the House will realize that they have to set lofty traditions of democracy. Meanwhile, the matter ,though unfortunate, constitutes a wake-up call to those who do not wish to see democracy flourish in this land where our leaders have yet to show a higher degree of political maturity.

Cameron’s Conservatives

DAVID Cameron’s election as the leader of the Conservative party this week is easily the best chance in years to end the party’s long exile out of power. The 39-year old leader is the youngest ever to head Britain’s oldest party. Cameron may be relatively inexperienced in a party full of veteran leaders. But in his youthfulness, the new leader brings the much-needed life and vitality to an aging party which has spent all its energy fighting indiscipline and infighting in its ranks for the better part of the past 13 years.
The hopelessly divided and listless party found it hard to take on the Labour government under a youthful and aggressive Blair even when it blundered its way from one disaster to another. If the Labour was voted back to power once again earlier this year despite the acute crisis of credibility Blair faced on account of Iraq war lies, it was largely due to a weak opposition, rather than Blair’s own strength as a leader or success of his policies. The voters apparently saw no alternative to the Labour government.
Cameron’s Conservatives may finally offer that much-needed alternative to the Labour. In Cameron, the Tories have got someone who could finally end the Labour’s uninterrupted victory run for three terms.
With his determination and infinite hunger to win and a balanced, forward looking agenda reflecting the challenges and opportunities Britain faces in the 21st century, the new leader could indeed lead the Tories back into power. But for that to happen, Cameron must infuse his party with the resolve and sense of purpose matching his own. He has promised to unveil a new election-winning squad with a clear agenda in the first 100 days of his leadership. The party’s future, and that of Britain, will crucially depend on this core team shaped and led by Cameron.
The secret of Labour’s success in the past three terms lies in its ability to appeal to both Left and Right sections of the British society. Under Blair, Labour has occupied the centrist space in a clever move to target the increasingly pluralist British society. The alliance with the Republican right in the US was part of this grand strategy. If the Tories have to return to power, they must reclaim this centrist space from the Labour. Cameron’s emphasis on education reforms and efforts to stop climate change as part of the Conservative agenda is a sign that the new leader appreciates the importance of an inclusive approach in tune with changing times. If the party persists with this focussed approach in the months and years to come, nothing can stop the victory march of Cameron’s Conservatives.

—Khaleej Times