By Vernon Daley, Parliamentary Reporter 
THE RESULT of last Wednesday's general election has left us with a new and reconfigured line-up in Parliament. The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has increased its seat count from 12 to 25 while the People's National Party (PNP) managed to hold on to 35 seats to form the Government.
We have a fairly balanced Parliament, with an Opposition that now has some weight to throw around. I don't know of any Jamaican who would disagree with the view that this is healthy for our democracy.
However, the question is whether the character of this Parliament will be one of co-operation or contention. In the last House of Representatives, the Government had an overwhelming majority and could do whatever it wanted, despite the howls of the Opposition.
This time around it's different. The Opposition has a stronger voice and is now in a position to block some Government initiatives. For example, one of the first items of business on the legislative agenda of the new Parliament is constitutional reform. Debate on a new Charter of Rights Bill is coming up and the House will also have to vote on whether to entrench the proposed Caribbean Court of Justice in the Constitution.
These are serious matters requiring a two-thirds majority vote, in most instances. That's a majority the Government doesn't have. Therefore, both sides will either have to work together, in the interest of Jamaica, or allow themselves to be bogged down in incessant cussing.
Given our political history of divisiveness, I'm being swayed to the view that we are in for some useless grandstanding on both sides, that will have disastrous effects on the business of this already pauperised country. But I'll keep hope alive.
At the same time, working towards greater co-operation doesn't mean that the Opposition has to surrender its duty to question the actions and decisions of Government. Nor does it mean that the government would back down from its right to formulate the policies and programmes, which it thinks will dig the country out of the ditch it now finds itself.
But, it cannot be beyond our leaders to have ongoing discussions about critical matters so they can have broad agreement by the time those issues reach Parliament. Prime Minister P.J. Patterson said, in his acceptance speech on election night, that he would be seeking to enlist the support of the Opposition on critical matters. Only time alone will tell if this is merely lip service.
Speaking of lip service, more Jamaicans need to get up off their posterior and start making their contribution to the proper functioning of our Parliamentary system. It's not only a strong Opposition that makes a Parliament strong. Active citizens also have a role to play.
There are many bad things to be said about the 13-year rule of the PNP. However, one of its real solid achievements is the opening up of Parliament to an extent never seen before in the history of the country. All committees are open for scrutiny and the public, as a matter of course, is invited to make its views known on critical matters that come before the House.
Sadly, there aren't enough citizens and interest groups that take the opportunity to say how they feel about critical matters. It seems we prefer to vent in the comfort of our armchairs, rather than use the channels available to us to influence Government.
Parliament doesn't belong to politicians. It belongs to the people and the people have a duty to see to it that their business is conducted in a spirit and manner of which they would approve. If only more of us would recognise our duty, instead of sitting around and waiting to be waited on.
