Formation of the standing committees, believed to be the lynchpin of the parliamentary system, was delayed for some inexplicable reasons and they came into being in July last year and the AL members were included in the committees in September, 2004. So, valuable time has been lost and the ultimate loser is the system of governance.

We applaud the AL decision and hope that the party's lawmakers will not only take part in the JS committees but also contribute significantly to their strengthening and smooth functioning. They have already wasted an opportunity to serve the nation in general, and their constituencies in particular. Their absence from the committees made the JS ineffective. All in all, one of the vital responsibilities to the electorate was not carried out. Needless to say, the committees cannot function to their full potential without the participation of the opposition MPs.

Whatever time is left for the committees to achieve their goals should be utilised properly. The opposition MPs can play a crucial role as members of the standing committees in exposing misdeeds, corruption and instances of mis-governance.

The JS committees will hopefully come to life with the participation of the opposition MPs and serve the purpose for which they were created. What cannot be overlooked is that formation and functioning of the standing committees is a constitutional obligation that should not be neglected on any pretext.

The AL decision to make its presence felt in the standing committees is quite in keeping with the popular expectation that the JS will be turned into the nucleus of all political activities, however belatedly. The government, for its part, should allow the opposition the space it needs to contribute to lawmaking and have a say in the parliamentary standing committees.