Strengthening our democracy

If politicians know they are on tv, they will be less inclined to shirk responsibility and have incentive to perform.

On June 23, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on America’s policies in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Halfway around the world, I was able to stream the hearing through C-SPAN’s website. C-SPAN is a cable network that has three channels that are solely dedicated to what is generally referred to as ‘public affairs programming’. Through C-SPAN, the American public (and anybody with access to the internet) can watch live streams of proceedings in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Committee hearings that are not off-the-record are also broadcast live. C-SPAN is a non-profit organisation and is funded through cable and satellite affiliates. There is no ulterior motive involved nor is there an agenda to satisfy.

Pakistan needs a C-SPAN equivalent; such a network will bring massive benefits to our nascent democracy.

There is a constant concern that our members of parliament forget their districts the day after they are elected and remember them a few months before they are up for re-election. A C-SPAN equivalent will address that concern. If anybody with access to a television wishes to see their elected representatives, they can tune into a provincial assembly, National Assembly, Senate or a standing committee hearing. Through the television, constituents will be able to judge for themselves who is serving their interests. They will also be able to demand more. This will enhance accountability. If our representatives know they are being broadcast, they will be less inclined to shirk responsibility and will have a greater incentive to perform and, in the process, to serve. Governance will improve.

Essentially, our elected representatives are public servants. A C-SPAN equivalent will heighten their ability to serve by strengthening the parliament. Imagine if all parliamentary proceedings were broadcast. Would that not increase the weight of parliamentary deliberations? With a media industry that is gaining traction all over the country — in rural communities and in each corner of bustling urban centres — it certainly would. The parliament would become tougher to ignore, our elected representatives would be more accountable and, simultaneously, more powerful.

Pakistan is a democracy. The system is in place; we have a voice. We must now focus on amplifying that voice and reinforcing the connection between the origin and the propagation of that voice. We must understand the gravity and strength of our vote, of our rights as citizens of a democracy. This understanding will not take place overnight, but it will gradually manifest itself. Education is a large component of such a process. But there is more to it. There is a bill tabled in the National Assembly that has been based on India’s Right to Information Act that gives every citizen the right to request information from any ‘public authority.’ Add to that a Pakistani equivalent of C-SPAN and our voice becomes that much stronger. Let us not complain, let us act in ways that strengthen our systems and push us further along the road to progress.



Published in The Express Tribune, June 30^th, 2011.