Members of Parliament have to gain people

United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Inter-parliamentary Union (IPU) have called on Members of Parliament (MPs) around the world to build people’s trust in them.

The Global Parliamentary Report published by UNDP and IPU says that parliaments must address the fragile trust between them and the citizens, be familiar with public needs and work towards meeting them.

“Parliamentarians are better placed to assess the concrete outcome of the legislation they discuss, amend and pass when they engage with citizens,” says Rebeca Grynspan, UNDP Associate Administrator. “These exchanges are critical to ensure that citizens, through their elected representatives, influence their governments and hold them to account more effectively, especially in key areas for development.”

The report, in which 660 MPs from 125 parliaments participated, was launched yesterday at the ongoing 126th IPU Assembly in Kampala, Uganda.

According to the report, polls show that trust levels for parliaments both in established and new democracies are going down.

In Lithuania and USA, trust levels are below 10 per cent. The trend is similar in the Arab world, East Asia and the Pacific. However in Sub-Saharan Africa, trust level is comparatively high at 56 per cent across the continent.

Abdelwahad Radi, President of the IPU said at yesterday’s session, “It is clear that casting a ballot every few years is no longer enough for an electorate. It wants more democratic engagement between it and the political institution it elects.”

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in his message to IPU Assembly that this year’s theme ‘Parliaments and the people: bridging the gap’ is a timely topic considering the protests of 2011.

“The contexts and grievances that drove the various social protests of 2011 were varied, but they had in common the expectation that State institutions be more transparent, accountable and responsive to the needs and aspirations of the people. They reflect a deep-seated yearning for the rule of law, democratic governance and social justice.”

The report notes that nearly all countries in the world have some form of parliament today. Compared with 50 years ago, they are more accessible, more professionally-run and better-resourced.