Think Tank Ok

Dec 20, 2001

THE National Executive Committee has appointed 22 people to constitute a Think Tank to chart the way forward and strengthen the Movement system of governance.

Think Tank Ok THE National Executive Committee has appointed 22 people to constitute a Think Tank to chart the way forward and strengthen the Movement system of governance. This is a welcome development. The Think Tank should critically examine the performance of the Movement in the past 16 years. It should not hang on the achievements alone. Failures and weaknesses should be identified and discussed frankly. The temptation of hyping successes and scuttling wrongs under the carpet should be resisted. The Movement, like any political systems in the world, has its challenges. So the Think Tank will go a long way in examining the changing political environment and either recommend a new course or maintain the status quo. The issue at hand is opening political space. Some individuals in the Movement think it is time to allow political parties. Others think the contrary. Both have their reasons. The Think Tank should rationally and objectively consider both tendencies. The view that the Movement can still win elections even with the parties back to life has been floated. But the Constitution restricts two political systems running concurrently. According to the Constitution, a political system can only be changed through referenda. On the other hand political parties argue that they have been kept in the cold too long. They want to participate in governance. Many of the young voters are oblivious of wrongs committed and the chaos caused by political parties in the past. If such voters want to organise themselves around a political party they certainly have a point. But the big picture is the process towards opening political space has to be guided with reason and patience. That is why the Think Tank is the right start. It would be foolhardy to suddenly open up and relegate all the achievements into chaos. Ends

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});