ISLAMABAD, Jan 25: Under the recent electoral reforms future parliamentarians would be expected to perform their actual job of legislation, allocating development funds and monitoring the government, said Chairman National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB), Lt-Gen (Rtd) Tanveer Naqvi.

“What would be left for the members of the National Assembly and the Provincial assemblies after these reforms is what was always expected of them before 1985,” explained Gen Naqvi.

He was speaking at a seminar organized by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) on the new electoral reforms on Friday.

Defending the restriction of graduate degree, he said it would add to the quality of the assemblies. “This is the only purpose behind this decision.

He said instead of the parliamentarians the representatives of the local government would be responsible for resolution of problems at the local level.

“The real intend is to ensure the sovereignty of the parliament, true federalism through sustainable democracy, durable good governance irreversible transfer of power to the people,” he observed.

The entire seminar revolved around 17 per cent participation of women through special seats. Most of the women participants at the seminar demanded increase in the proportion of reservation of the women’s seats to 33 per cent of the total strength of the legislative body instead of 17 per cent.

He explained that most of the problems being faced by women were not of legislative nature rather came within the ambit of local community and could be solved at the local level.

Giving representation to such a large percentage of women would mean women travelling out station, stay overnight for long periods due to the assemblies’ sessions that would entail expenses, which very few women could afford.

However, there was no bar on women for contesting and winning elections on general seats.

When asked how the government would ensure fair and transparent elections, he said it was the responsibility of the election commission, which has been made autonomous by giving administrative and financial autonomy.

When asked that only women from the political parties would be able to win seats, he said that the government did not intend to walk away from the political parties. Positive change in the governance system would come only if the political parties strictly follow democracy within their ranks.

“It is not an easy task to regulate the political parties rather the parties itself have to bring improvements within themselves,” he said asking the participants to give some concrete suggestions regarding this aspect.

On giving more seats to the Punjab in the National Assembly, he said that the lower house was supposed to be on population basis, besides this issue could be addressed by the Upper House (the Senate) where the federating units were represented.

He conceded that Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution involving qualifications and disqualifications of members of the parliament were open to criticism and there was room for introducing reforms.