Why do we need a parliament?

[Nadine Toukan]

Doesn't it feel like we're at a point in time when we should be inventing another system of representation, voice and accountability?

Serious question:  why do we need/want a parliament?

Related: Representation, imagine a new structure.

[A7lam Shams]

I see some of the points that have been made here.
An effective parliamentarian is one who has a political party behind him.
I see parliament more of a monitoring body rather than a force of change.
I believe in change from within. Evolution vs revolution. So in answer to your question, yes I think we do need a parliament, to maintain a system of checks and balances even if many are sceptical of that. So I am planning to vote for the candidate I believe has the personal integrity, right mentality and understands the needs of the country.

[Nadine Toukan]

I truly see your point A7lam, and in theory agree. But after waking up to a sham of campaigning from MPs who were essentially fired a year ago and today are running identical campaigns using he same materials, I'm so disheartened.

And I'm still on the fence about whether a blank ballot is more honorable to the self, or abstaining. I really don't know yet.

For a while I really thought we might get it right this time round. I thought people were paying attention and we'd all put our best foot forward. Sadly, today's reality is far from.

[A7lam Shams]

I know I felt the same way too. Changing people's mentality is going to take much longer and unfortunately not everyone is listening nor interested. But I do feel optimistic about some of the new candidates that are running and even some of those who ran last time but did not win. I am hoping that having such people in the parliament will bring back the credibility to the House and will influence the debate on a new and bold election law. So four years from now we may start seeing the fruits of today's efforts. That is why I will vote.
I also believe that this government has, and is, doing all it can in the very short time it had to ensure the process is fair and clean. I support these efforts.

[Nadine Toukan]

We need a national environment conducive to such exploration and debate. As things stand today, we are far from.

[Lana N Al Sakka]

Hello Nadine!
Well, I think its a total waste of time. Parliament is not for us as long as it does not rest on the basics of what makes effective parliaments; political parties, humanitarian parties, communal involvement, awareness, open and real discussions, an actual voice for a parliamentarian... love for the country instead of for money and power...
So, the role of a parliament I believe is secondary here... as long as we dont have the above, a parliament is worthless. And yes, maybe
Though there was a drive to make these elections 'better', i think it requires a lot more that a call for action!

[Yusuf Mansur]

I really don't need a parliament in its present form for the following reasons:

What good will one parliamentarian do, she/he has no framework or training in politics and even if she/he does what good is one vote there; they will be pariah; and given the lack of technical capacity in parliament they will remain ineffective

Even if parties are formed, so what? Unless they can present candidates for government posts they will have only veto power--a negative power at best; given that we don't have parties this is a moot issue.

So I am not voting; there I admitted; frankly I don't give a hoot who is in parliament.

[Yusuf Mansur]

We need proper parliaments like teh ones that represent the people in the developed world; we needn't invent something to counter our deficiencies; simply because we don't have it does not mean it doesn't work, it works elsewhere; and let's just not call what we have a parliament

[Lana N Al Sakka]

i agree Yusuf... so unless proven otherwise... I am not voting either....

[Yusuf Mansur]

I am not voting either, and frankly I hate the fact that I am giving up such a right, but I hardly see it worth the effort; again before we discard an idea, see how we corrupted it and made it such a useless device. Just because my car doesn't work, doesn't mean that all cars don't work; this is known to economists and social scientists as, "the fallacy of association causation"

[Yusuf Mansur]

A blank ballot could mean that one believes in the process but does not want the candidates; abstaining, however, sends a message that one does not believe in the process itself (one vote, distribu tion of electoral seats, non-party entry, no real impact of parliament due to lack of powers to form the executive or properly guide its actions).

I personally know many of the candidates and have met most of them over the years; and even though some are outstanding people, I believe they too will be ineffective as individual pariamentarians. This is the crux of the matter.

So, yes, we don't need this parliament or the one before it or the one that will follow. Some of our greatest blunders occurred while the parliament was in session; and I can recall several of them. Some of our most apparent embarrassements were not curtailed by having the parialment convening to rubber stamp them. At one discussion in the parliament, one parliamentarian was asking me kindly not to say what I wanted to say while in teh parliament because he believed the coming blunder which he was approving was sanctioned from higher up--never naming who the hihger up is or was, they say it as if teh person or organization is really important. But I don't blame him, his was a salaried, albeit glorified, job.

No, we need a proper parliament; and this will not be it.

[Bahjat Tabbara]

I think the question should be 'why do we need this parliament' (& I'm talking about this current one) which I would answer as something is better than nothing. However, the parliament is only as effective as people make it, when the one-vote system emerged, society adapted when the government placed it. In the end, the people didn't produce (or vote) for anyone who would repeal such a system & legislate; but instead for people who could serve personal interests.

Therefore 'we' (or rather some) need a parliament (or rather MPs) who can serve their personal interests & return favours; not for the constitutional basis of parliament.

[Nadine Toukan]

For the record:

If King Abdullah believes there will be transformation post elections, he's in for a bit of shocker the morning after and onwards. ~May 10, 2012