Party politics

Party politics, if properly conducted, does not or at least should not divide a country. Conducted properly, it only means waging political contests with a set of rules. The more mature the country’s politicians, the less concerned it is with personalities. In party politics, the emphasis is on principles and issues. Therefore it is quite possible for President Gloria to say and be the president of EDSA 1 and EDSA 2 without sacrificing the goals of her party – the Lakas-NUCD-UMDP. By her acts and statements, she embodies what the party stands for. As its leader, she must inspire loyalty to these principles by inspiring loyalty to the party.

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With her party in power, President Gloria is more able than the Opposition to influence the direction of politics in the country. It is her call as the incumbent head of government to put party politics on track to advance reforms. The Guingona problem would have been an excellent opportunity to show the superiority of party politics in making a foreign policy issue work in the interest of the country. As far as I know, Vice President Guingona’s reservations about the Balikatan exercises had been overcome by a series of party consultations with the vice president acceding to the president’s policy. As secretary of foreign affairs, he only asked that certain formalities in its implementation be observed. One such formality was to allow his department to submit its terms of reference for the Balikatan.

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The same process could have been used with the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement. A consensus could have been worked at and achieved by party leaders. The country’s prestige would have been enhanced by the manner in which support for America’s war on terrorism is being conducted. Even the American cause is better served by a more democratic procedure in the conduct of its foreign policy. The way it turned out, there seemed an attempt to ram down an agreement in time for the arrival of US Secretary of State Colin Powell.

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Some public relations packaging that projects this party approach as an ongoing effort for new politics would be good for Lakas-NUCD-UMDP under President Gloria’s leadership. With this kind of party projection, we would lay down the new battleground for political contests. It will also be covered by rules rather than the present free for all that we have practiced. In the UK, for instance, the major parties are Labor and Conservative. These have alternated in proving the party’s capability to carry out programs of government. The electorate is forced to choose between party platforms rather than personalities. In contemporary Philippines, the parties can be organized around the forces in contention which are modernism or new politics against the status quo or old politics. As a Centrist Democrat, I consider myself a modernist and would like to see my party, the Lakas NUCD UMDP reinforce that brand. These forces between forward looking and preserving the status quo can be said to have been the distinguishing marks of different political groupings since the fall of the Marcos regime.

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The natural habitat for party politics is the parliamentary system being organized around parties. When issues are not at the center of political differences, party politics is merely tribal warfare and a very expensive tribal warfare at that with money and popularity as the bases for victory. That is why all attempts at reforming our politics will be defeated unless we shift to parliamentary federal government. In my last column I reiterated that the only way to move forward is not through another EDSA but to take the constitutional route to change. After two EDSAs that issue has become urgent. When all the fluff has been removed, the issue comes down to finding a way to dismiss a government without a political upheaval.

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Although public opinion has shifted in favor of constitutional change there remains a lot of work to be done in informing the public. Unfortunately, constitutional change has been so distorted, it will be an uphill climb. Once again those who had blocked constitutional change in the past are attempting to do it again. Yet it is only by shifting to parliamentary federal that we can sustain the effort for political reform. Anything else will fail unless there is a citizens’ daily monitor in a confined area as in a future Parliament. We need to consolidate a data base for those who believe in this cause to come forward for the task ahead. We can rebuild this nation through constitutional change. Unfortunately, my e-mail address was left out in the copy. If you or the organization you belong to, are one of those who believe that it is time for constitutional change as the way to reform, write this column at the email address below. Instead of going to EDSA, identify your congressman/women and visit or write him or her in Congress and begin the long road to good governance by supporting a constituent assembly to shift to parliamentary federal.

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My e-mail address: [email protected]