On the second day of the International Parliamentary Conference, Opposition leader and Congress president Sonia Gandhi dwelt on the steady erosion of parliamentary authority the world over. She said people want the institution to become a force of action instead of a debating society.‘‘People have come to expect more than stirring and eloquent speeches and sharp interventions in Parliament.It should respond effectively to their demands and heightened expectations,’’ she said during the session devoted to need for reforms to secure greater executive accountability.She said Parliament’s public image had suffered as its deliberations mostly ended up generating more heat than light while people were demanding the institution become not just a forum for discussion but also a force for action.‘‘Parliaments everywhere have come in for criticism, invited certain cynicism and even indifference,’’ she said, adding that the phenomenon is not peculiar to India alone.She said the country is facing one of the greatest political challenges in evolving a strong Centre, states and local self-government bodies. ‘‘How to have a strong Centre, strong states, and strong local self-government institutions deriving strength and sustenance from each other is the greatest political challenge that we face as we complete the first half of parliamentary democracy in our country,’’ she said.Pointing out that over the past decade, a third layer of parliamentary democracy after Parliament and state Assemblies has re-emerged in the villages, towns and cities, she said the elected rural and urban self-government bodies were imparting a whole new dimension to the democratic edifice.‘‘The nature and character of our parliamentary democracy is undergoing a significant transformation as local bodies become more vibrant and assertive,’’ she said.Dwelling on the hypocrisy of political parties, she said one of the ironies of parliamentary democracy was that the stand of the parties on various issues depended on where they sat.Stating that confrontation between the executive and the Opposition was inevitable in a parliamentary democracy, Gandhi emphasised the need for evolving a mechanism to bring about consensus.
