The Government in Power and in Opposition

It is the acknowledged fact that the prime objective of a democratic form of government in power has to deal with the matters which are the essentials for development of the country aimed at bringing well being and prosperity to the people of the country. Democracy is a representative system of government and the political parties act as the cohesion between the electorate and the government as Abraham Lincoln said Democracy means government of the people by the people and forth people. Democracy does not mean recrimination and accusations amongst the leaders of the government in power and the opposition party. The political party not forming the government i.e. the opposition party has a great role to play in the politics of a democratic country. The tasks of this party are to straighten the follies and loopholes of the ruling party with concrete suggestions in a peaceful manner and also suggest ways and means for good governance bearing in mind that they are the representatives of the electorate. Similarly the political leaders of the government in power will also have to take into confidence of the opposition party for transacting the business of the government. Therefore there must be close interaction between the ruling party and the opposition party in running the government in the best way for development and progress of the country. In a democratic country the opposition has to come forward with healthy and constructive criticism always for correcting the mistakes and loopholes of the ruling party and not condemn the government in their partisan interest. Then only the governance of the country moves in right direction. It is often observed that in many cases in connivance with other political parties the opposition party tries to discredit the government in arrogant and vociferous manner and brings no confidence motion against the government with the object of bringing down it.

Such action of the opposition party does not display glorious norms and traditions of democracy. The intra party accusations give rise to tussle and the result is that the leaders in the government in power and the leaders of the opposition party are constantly embroiled in mud slinging censuring each other deviating from the values of democratic ethos. Boycotting the parliamentary proceedings by the opposition party becomes a regular feature which does not speak high of democratic ethos. What is painfully observed is that the leaders of the political parties of both the government in power and the opposition are frantic in highlighting the shortcomings and lapses of the individual leaders whether of the present government or the previous government now forming the opposition party.