The major political parties have lost their voice on two counts. First, political success or failure has come to be defined in terms of winning or losing in election or that by-election. And, as things stands, there will always be some local government or parliament elections or by - elections in a year, leading to an excessive preoccupation with that next electoral battle, resulting in postponement of hard decisions both within the government and the party. Given the additional burden of coalition arrangements, in which every ally and every supporting party has a functional veto, there is a built-in accent on muting the voice, on finding the middle ground, and on diluting policy objectives. The advantage in this scenario lies with those who have the resources to defend their vested interests because political parties and leaders are forever afraid of offending someone or the other. [Read More]

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Source: Weekly Blitz :: Writings