HM Ershad’s Jatiya Party (JaPa) has no scope for joining the next cabinet, according to the established parliamentary rules, as the Jatiya Sangsad authorities yesterday published a gazette notification confirming senior JaPa leader Rawshan Ershad as the leader of the opposition of 10th parliament.
Induction of JaPa MPs in the Awami League-led cabinet, to be sworn in today, in line with the demand of the former military dictator’s party would not match with the established form of Westminster pattern government which Bangladesh has been following since 1991.
Rawshan led the party during the January 5 elections upon directives of the party chairman. Publishing of the gazette strips BNP chief Khaleda Zia of her post of the opposition leader of ninth parliament. This is for the first time in 23 years, Khaleda, a three-time prime minister, holds no post in a parliament formed since 1991.
“According to the number of seats, it is clear that Rawshan Ershad is the new opposition leader. The gazette has been done,” Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
The rules of procedure of parliament authorises the speaker to determine the opposition leader stipulating that the opposition leader is the person who is the leader of the highest number of MPs of the parties or groups opposing the treasury bench.
In the Westminster form of government, followed in many Commonwealth countries, presence of the opposition is a must. Legislature without opposition makes it a “rubber stamp” parliament.
Any party sharing power becomes part of the government and the party no more enjoys the right to criticise the government, according to “Practice and Procedure of Parliament” written by MN Kaul and SL Shakder.
E May in his book “How Parliament Works” also makes a clear distinction between the treasury and the opposition benches in parliament which enacts laws and ensures transparency and accountability of the executive.
On Thursday, Rawshan led some of her party MPs to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to demand some positions in the cabinet of ministers for boosting up the JaPa. Hasina did not make it clear whether she would induct them in the cabinet or not.
“The ministers will not criticise the government, but our MPs will blast the treasury,” JaPa lawmaker Mujibul Haque told the Dhaka Tribune.
He said Pakistan, one of the countries having the worst records of parliamentary practice for frequent military intervention, had an instance of such practice.
However, several Awami League leaders including Mohammad Nasim, Suranjit Sengupta and Amir Hossain Ami have openly opposed JaPa’s contradictory role.