“Parties should be relevant to ordinary people, and young people in particular. Parties can do much more to ensure that politics really is about issues, not sound bites; substance, not spin,”
Parliamentarians on Democracy and Globalisation
7 September 2006
Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon has called for political parties to commit themselves to reform and renewal.
He made the plea while delivering a keynote address at the 52nd Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Abuja, Nigeria, on 6 September 2006.
“Parties should be relevant to ordinary people, and young people in particular. Parties can do much more to ensure that politics really is about issues, not sound bites; substance, not spin,” said the Secretary-General.
In his speech, Mr McKinnon stressed the importance of the relationship between ruling and opposition parties. He noted that while some progress has been made in this area, political parties remain as “the weak link” in the democratic chain.
“Even now, in some Commonwealth countries, ruling and opposition parties have completely failed to reach an understanding on what might be called the ‘collaborative context’ for their work.”
Underlining the importance of a proper equilibrium in the relationship between the executive, the legislature and the judiciary, the Secretary-General reiterated that this is enshrined in the Commonwealth’s Latimer House Principles. These emphasise, among other things, accountability, zero tolerance of corruption, and recognition of the role of civil society in underpinning democracy.
In the context of the upcoming IMF/World Bank talks in Singapore, he called for the formation of an international economic system which is just, productive and profitable, particularly for developing countries and small states.
“I continue to press for what I call a ‘generous globalisation’. Our responsibility is to make sure that nobody is left by the wayside as globalisation develops, and that the fruits of the process are distributed fairly,” said the Secretary-General.
“So, it matters how globalisation is managed, who benefits, and who makes the rules for whom.”
Mr McKinnon repeated a call made at the Malta Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2005, in which developed countries were asked to demonstrate the political courage and will to give more than they received in the Doha Round.
“The Doha Round must deliver the development dividend it promised. The matter will be high on the agenda when Commonwealth Finance Ministers meet in Colombo next week. And they, in turn, will relay that message -- loud and clear -- when they go on to the World Bank and IMF Annual Meetings in Singapore the week after. The 800 million Commonwealth citizens on less than $1 each day deserve nothing less.”
The conference was organised by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, which consists of the national, provincial, state and territorial Parliaments and Legislatures of the countries of the Commonwealth.
CNIS - Commonwealth News and Information Service Issue 301, 6 September 2006
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