[Editorial] Disappointing National Assembly

According to the National Assembly law, the National Assembly should have gotten the legislature on track by May 25 this year. But Rival Grand National Party (GNP) and Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) wasted one month being at odds over the speakership of the National Assembly.

Then more time was squandered as rival parties salivated for the chairmanship of standing committees.

It took more than one and a half months for the National Assembly to get back on track.

The result of the squabble between the two parties raises a fundamental question; Does the nation`s National Assembly exist for the sake of the public?

The GNP ignored its self-imposing rule that the chairmen of standing committees should be elected in a primary and granted the posts to three-term lawmakers. The MDP also distributed chairmanship of parliamentary committees to figures hailing from different factions and regions without considering professionalism as a critical factor in appointing committee chairmen. The same was true in the junior United Liberal Democrats (ULD).

If this anachronistic trend holds, it is evident that professionalism required for legislation will be put on the back burner. Not only the appointment of committee chairmen, but also the arrangement of lawmakers in committees was devoid of professionalism and expertise. Lawmakers were lining up to become a member of popular committees such as the Committee of Construction and Transportation, and the Committee of Commerce, Industry and Energy. But some seats on such unpopular committees as the Committee of Health and Welfare, and the Committee of Environment and Labor remain unfilled.

The reason why lawmakers scramble to be a member of popular committee is easy to fathom. As members of the so-called popular committees, lawmakers pursue their self-interests while putting aside their duty to do good to the general public. Lawmakers might say it has been a deep-rooted practice. But it cannot be an excuse.

If they are to reform the nation`s politics, they should transform themselves.

For their part, political parties should differentiate themselves from their competitors and seek the public support rather than getting involved in consuming battle for political power.

The public is the ones who suffer from the legislative havoc wreaked by nonprofessional committee members. Political parties are urged to review the arrangement of standing committees in a way that professionalism can properly function.

Some lawmakers, who have studied hard in one field for the past two year, were placed in totally non-relevant committees. It is just a nonsense. The National Assembly should correct its mistakes. The legislative body should have a dread of the public.