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Saturday, September 27, 2014

Pakatan’s ‘consensus’ system is flawed

The writer suggests a new decision making system.
COMMENT
konvesyen-prJoshua Wu
Many Pakatan Rakyat supporters would agree that the Selangor Menteri Besar crisis has left a bitter taste in the mouth. We have seen bickering, backstabbing, craven acts and a myriad instances of volte-face.
Even in the aftermath, we have boorish comments coming from the different parties of a coalition that is supposed to represent our hope for a better future. For instance, we have Lim Guan Eng labelling the former the four PAS excos who stood by Khalid Ibrahim as “traitors” and PAS Youth saying PAS will one day leave PR.
It’s time that the PR parties stop drying their dirty linen in public. The more insults hurled at one another in public, the less confidence the people have in PR. Surveys have indicated that PR might lose Selangor if snap polls were held.
PR should learn to settle differences behind closed doors. It can learn a lot from the constitutional convention of collective ministerial responsibility, whereby members of the cabinet must publicly support all governmental decisions made in cabinet, even if they do not privately agree with them.
Basically the PR component parties must maintain a united front and all toe the line. No more puerile statements made in public. Behind the scenes is where discussions are held, ideas are ridiculed, chairs are hurled, name calling is done, etc.
PR’s current system of operating on “consensus” has proven to be greatly flawed. PKR and DAP agreed on only nominating Wan Azizah for the MB’s post, but PAS had something else in mind.
There was clearly no consensus. The fact that PKR and DAP were so stubborn in having their way shows that the consensus system is more effective in theory than in practice.
PR could greatly benefit from proposals by a writer going by the pseudonym OMG! In a recent article, he suggested that each member of the PR triumvirate be allotted votes to decide on matters involving PR according to its representation in Parliament and state assemblies, with 60% allocated to Parliament and 40% to all 13 state assemblies.
Let us see OMG!’s proposals in more detail:
“(a) The number of Parliament seats is divided thus: 21 for PAS, 38 for DAP and 29 for PKR.
“(b) The number of state seats is divided as 85 (PAS), 95 (DAP) and 48 (PKR).
“Note: In both cases, PKR’s total has been reduced by one state seat and one Parliament seat, reflecting Khalid Ibrahim’s new independent status.
“(c) After applying the 60:40 weightage, we find that the votes to be allotted to the three members PAS:DAP:PKR, are 29:43:28.
“The present and less satisfactory consensus (agree to disagree) approach could now be replaced by a 2/3 majority vote, i.e., a 2/3 majority of 67 votes means that the decision is adopted by PR and dissenting members must fall in line.”
Regarding any decision, the PR parties will meet up, deliberate, and then vote on the issue. The moment a 2/3 majority is achieved, the issue is resolved and every party has to stand firm with it.
This decision-making system, which is similar to the “electoral collegial system which governs the US presidential election based on the results in the various states” would prevent further straining the already strained relationship between PKR, DAP, and PAS
The parties not happy with the votes allotted to them can work harder to win more seats in the 14th General Election in order to increase their say in PR policies and decisions. This proposal appears to be the panacea that PR has been looking for. The idea should be seriously and thoroughly considered.
Joshua Wu is an FMT reader

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