PARLIAMENT AND DEMOCRACY - Inter-Parliamentary Union

strengthening of both legislative and oversight functions, as well as the links
with civil society and other parliaments. All the above have been supported by
UNDP. Among others, St.Kitts has had assistance in the form of finance and
human resources from the Commonwealth Secretariat, and Zambia from a
consortium of donors for an extensive programme of parliamentary reform.
Among the many other ways of providing momentum for reform is through
the involvement of the public, so that they come to have a stake in the reform
process. The Turkish Parliament, for example, has held comprehensive discussions
with NGOs and intellectuals, as well as with the government and opposition,
on the question ‘What kind of Parliament do you wish to have?’
Journalists, academicians and artists have all contributed to these discussions.
In Zimbabwe, when the Parliament decided in 1996 to initiate a programme of
reforms it embarked on ‘an unprecedented process of consultations with the
public, the Government and within itself’:
A Reform Committee was appointed, made up of both Backbenchers
and Ministers. Teams of members of the Committee held public hearings
all over the country soliciting people’s views on their perception
of Parliament and what they expected out of Parliament……The feedback
obtained from the public included the impressions that:
■ a) Parliament is an inaccessible and secretive institution;
■ b) Parliament is a sleeping chamber; and
Facing the future I 191
■ c) Parliament should play a significant role in financial and policy
formulation.
These impressions have significantly shaped the character of the reform
programme. Although the current crisis in the country may have put the
reforms in abeyance, they will be important for the future of parliament once
conditions can be normalised.
The above example brings us to a consideration of some of the typical
obstacles that might hamper the reform process. These include:
■ a political and social context that is so unfavourable that parliamentary
reform is compromised;
■ inadequacy of resources and expertise, even when outside assistance
is available;
■ reform-resistant cultures, especially within long-established parliaments
or, at the societal level, in more traditional societies;