20 March 2008
editorial
Nairobi — Unity of purpose will be a critical element in ensuring the type of change Kenyans expect from the Tenth Parliament comes to pass.
However, the cobbling of a political constellation of rival parties into one grand coalition comes with the risk of either an unchecked Government rushing headlong into whatever ventures it pleases or a gridlocked one unable to move from debate to reform and renewal.
Many observers have already realised the first danger and spoken about the risks we take by not having an official Opposition in Parliament.A token opposition or a loyal opposition, which any smaller party aspiring to the official position would be, would have little impact on debate in Government programmes.
We believe the nature of the coalition enables the partners to restrain each other's excesses.
This new partnership between the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and the Party of Narional Unity (PNU) and its affiliates must not lose the tensions necessary between a government-in-waiting and its designated rivals. The two groups can and should act as counterweights to each other without damaging the ties that bind them in this temporary arrangement.
This, however, is a skill to be learned. Parliamentary opposition locally has at times sunk to hobbling Government business or sand-bagging its programmes, irrespective of their potential to help the people, instead of simply checking State excesses and keeping Government honest.
Historically, this has usually been pegged to political competition for power. The grand coalition largely removes this stumbling block.
The coalition Government's ability to make substantial decisions on reforms and renewals depends on MPs from ODM and the PNU/ODM-Kenya alliance showing they have a common stake in the changes needed and not a common stake in blocking each other.
Debate should lead to action
A coalition need not be a formula for stalemate on all matters, but the reform agenda. Even as teams work on incorporating policy ideas from ODM and ODM-Kenya into Government plans, Members of Parliament must be sufficiently independent of party influence to avoid political gridlock on business not directly related to the accord.
A badly deadlocked coalition can be a recipe for disaster. The Federal Republic of Germany's first grand coalition in 1966, for instance, left a contentious legacy. However, such coalitions can be useful as they harness the best thinking of all political groups on the direction Government should take.
A genuine competition of party ideas will present voters with their next Government. A competition of party and personal ambitions, however, will squander the opportunity for change.
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