It is not often that a coalition partner of the government prescribes a series of actions for good governance through the media. While the suggestions given by the UDP General Secretary, Jemino Mawthoh on various sectors of governance are much needed, these are better discussed internally and in the cabinet rather than outside it since the UDP is a prime coalition partner of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) Government and this alliance is on its second tenure. The question is – who is the UDP talking to and why should such prescriptions emerge now that the NPP, the senior coalition partner, has enough MLAs to run the government single-handedly?
Out of the 12 ministers in the cabinet, the UDP has three and they are holding important portfolios such as Tourism, Social Welfare, Food and Civil Supplies, Water Resources, Home (Passport) Department, Revenue & Disaster Management, Excise Departments among others. Are these ministers delivering on the departments entrusted to them? The UDP has asked the Government to win the trust and confidence of the people but what are those confidence building measures that the Government needs to put in place? Which are the areas of governance that people have very little or no confidence in? It is important to spell out specific departments rather than make a generic recommendation.The UDP has literally tasked the MDA Government to be transparent, accountable and responsive to the needs and expectations of the poor. Should this exercise not have been undertaken first within the Party and each of the three ministers assessed for exactly what the UDP is demanding from the Government? Only if the UDP ministers are not found wanting in any area of governance would the Party have the legitimacy to urge the other coalition partners namely the NPP and BJP to meet the above expectations of the Party.
It is noteworthy that the UDP has also spelt out the demographics most in need of government assistance namely the urban poor, farmers, women and children and also for the MDA Government to create job opportunities for the burgeoning youth population. The UDP has also pointed to the need for improving road connectivity and to enhance quality education, healthcare services, tourism, power and the agriculture sector. To the discerning public it is evident that the UDP has pointed to all the departments run by the NPP, barring tourism which is held by their own party members.Further, the UDP suggests that a people-centric governance is the need of the hour but the Party has not raised its voice when certain laws were passed without public consultation. Governance without involving people is a top-down model that is destined to fail and lead to non-cooperation. Government agencies alone cannot implement development projects without the cooperation of the people. Have any of the UDP ministers had a peoples’ consultation in running their departments? Innovation in governance is integral for a focussed development but has the UDP placed all this agenda before the Government in the past? Now that elections to the ADC are close at hand and all the coalition partners of the MDA Government are going it alone it is customary for the finger-pointing to start once the campaign season begins. People can no longer be fooled!
