He lists the many problems the 18th National Assembly had with scandals, violence, dereliction of duty, failure to agree on the national budget. They have squandered the hard earned money the citizens have paid in taxes. They failed to take into account the living conditions of the citizens but rather the needs and tactics of their political parties. It goes into history as one of the worst and hopes the next assembly will be different.
The legislative measures brought before them only 43 percent were passed.Those that had to do with systematic change and the needs of the citizens were abandoned. This will now mean the 19th assembly will have the task to bring these before the floor with much time and money involved. The 18th assembly have left an embarrassing record.
The citizens with their one vote were expressing their desire for the future in electing the new assembly, but the columnist seeing the talk after the election wonders if this hope can realistically be entertained. Regulations for the assembly state that the new session of the National Assembly should meet before June 5th but each party fighting for its turf it doesn't appear this will happen. The 18th was 42 days late. Since at the end of the year we have the national elections for the president the prospects are not bright.
Of the 300 members of the assembly 74 are Catholics. The columnist is hoping that this will make a difference but the last assembly had even more Catholics. He wonders if this trust on the Catholic members is not too naive. They know they should put the needs of the people ahead of the needs of their respective parties.
He prays that the persons of faith in their work as legislators will remember their Gospel mission and be true to their calling and serve the people as parliamentarians. He hopes we will see a change from the politics of an underdeveloped country and for the members of faith to be an example.
