Minorities rule the World

It happened last year in the United Kingdom (UK). And now it is Australia. Australian Prime Minister still hangs on as Prime Minister of Australia.

Ms. Julia Gillard leads a minority government since World War II. That historic feat was made possible by the decision of two key independent candidates to back the Australian Prime Minister.

The two candidates -Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott – held the balance of power in parliament after fellow independent MP, Bob Katter backed opposition leader Tony Abbot. The arrangement ensured that Ms. Gillard Labour Party had the backing of one more MP in the lower house than the Liberal-led coalition.

Last year, British Prime Minister – David Cameron won the UK Elections under similar arrangement when Nick Clegg of the Liberal Democrats backed him to beat Labour’s Gordon Brown.

Under the agreed pact was a concessionary arrangement that made it possible for Nick Clegg to become the Deputy Prime Minister of UK after almost seventy years. Other key portfolios also went to Nick Clegg’s group.

In Australia, the dramatic decision by the two Independent candidates ended more than two weeks of political deadlock following indecisive elections.
It gives Ms. Gillard’s Labour Party the backing of one more MP in the lower house than the Liberal-led coalition. Under the current Australian arrangement, the two other independent MPs have been offered key positions in Prime Minister Gillard’s government.
In Ghana it took the support of the minority CPP for the NPP to win power in 2000. As part of the deal brokered between the two parties, key functionaries of the CPP were offered key positions in the Kufuor-led administration.
Benin President, Yaya Bonni, is a product of the emerging political order that defies huge traditions and the status quo. He won the presidency of the tiny West African country as an Independent candidate, defeating stalwarts like Nicephore Soglo, a former President and a candidate sponsored by then ruling party, whose leader – Mathieu Kereku – had ruled Benin both as military Head of State and a constitutional President.
Although minority parties could not openly support the NDC in the 2008 Election, there were underground deal brokered among certain members of the minority parties that ensured that the current Ghanaian government party won that year’s election.
Most of the persons behind the scenes negotiations are serving in various capacities in the Mills-led administration. The emerging phenomenon offers opportunity for a country to harness the best available human resources and capabilities for accelerated growth.
From all indications, the 2012 Election in Ghana is likely to follow what now is being referred to as global political trend. And from the experiences being gathered from the UK and Australia, where key government are offered junior partners in the coalition governments, no minority group in Ghana will settle for anything token.
It is also possible that through the many unity talks involving especially the PNC and the CPP, there is a possibility of a potential alliance between the two parties and other smaller parties to upstage the so-called big political parties – the NPP and NDC. The example of the two countries and that of Benin shows the current strength of global democracy of which Ghana cannot be excluded.
The words of retained Australian Prime Minister sum up how countries are strengthening their democracies: “The events of the past fortnight show us unequivocally that our democracy is very, very strong indeed,” Ms. Gillard told a news conference in Canberra.
“With today’s agreement… Labour is prepared to deliver stable, effective and secure government for the next three years. Ours will be a government with just one purpose – to serve the Australian people.”
“We will be held more accountable than ever before, and more than any government in modern memory,” she added.
Opposition leader Tony Abbott told reporters he would respect the outcome, despite his alliance having won one more seat than Ms. Gillard’s party on 21 August.
“The Coalition won more votes and more seats than our opponents, but sadly, we did not get the opportunity to form a government,” he said. “Obviously I’m disappointed about that, but that’s our system.”
The BBC’s Nick Bryant in Sydney says the election was often compared to a soap opera and ended like the finale of a reality show, with the winner kept a secret until announced live on national television.

In the end, the final arbiters were three country-based MPs – dubbed the “three amigos” – who negotiated and deliberated for 17 days.
Shortly after lunchtime, Bob Katter from North Queensland stepped before the cameras to announce he had backed the Liberal-led coalition.
He said he was angry with the treatment of his fellow Queenslander, Kevin Rudd, who was ousted as Prime Minister by Ms. Gillard in an internal party coup in June. She had been Mr. Rudd’s deputy.
“Kevin’s thinking and my thinking are very similar,” Mr. Katter said. “I’m very good friends with him.”
Then an hour later, Mr. Windsor announced his support for Ms. Gillard.
He said Labour’s plans for a national broadband network and its position on climate change had been major factors in his decision, as well as a feeling that if he supported Mr. Abbot he would rush to the polls.
Mr. Windsor also made a plea to his conservative constituents to co-operate with the new minority government, saying: “This is about using the political system to the advantage the people we represent.”
It all came down to Mr. Oakeshott, who revealed at the end of a 20-minute speech that Ms. Gillard would remain as Prime Minister.
Mr. Oakeshott stressed how close the call had been, detailing a lengthy list of meetings and consultations the independents had undertaken with Labour, the Liberals and other key players.
He said he had taken into account who could form a more stable government, who had a better deal for rural Australia and who could work best with the Senate, where the Greens will hold the balance of power.
“This is not a mandate for any government. We should have a great big swear jar in this building for the next three years and if anyone uses that word ‘mandate’ they should have to chip in some money.”
“This parliament is going to be different; no one party has dominance over the executive or the parliament. That is a reality of the way we’re going to do business for the next three years. And that is a good reality.”
The Independents’ backing means Ms. Gillard will be able to press ahead with her plans to introduce the broadband network, a 30% tax on iron ore and coal mining companies’ profits, and a tax on major polluters to help cut carbon emissions by 5% by 2020.
But our correspondent says that with such a tiny majority, the government is bound to be hostage to any unexpected events such as by-elections.