The idea of ASEAN Parliament seems distant, but not unrealistic

The idea of ASEAN Parliament seems distant, but not unrealistic

Bantarto Bandoro, Jakarta

The idea of an ASEAN parliament was debated at the recent
seminar here on the Establishment of a Regional Parliament,
organized by the Inter-parliamentary Cooperation Body of the
House of Representatives. The idea of an ASEAN parliament is not
new, but it did not emerge from an ASEAN process. It was first
tabled by the Philippines delegation at the third ASEAN
Interparliamentary Organization (AIPO) meeting in 1980.

The underlying argument was that such a regional body would be
an effective decision-making mechanism and would help implement
the regional policies of ASEAN. The idea surfaced again at the
AIPO meeting in Phnom Penh last year.

Parliament is a political institution and its existence
clearly reflects democracy.

It is therefore inevitable that the executive branch of
government would have to communicate as well as consult with the
parliament on major policy problems.

There is a parallel between the role of parliament at the
national level and regional level. Globalization has given birth
to pluralism in a way that it provides greater space for the
involvement of other actors in the management of ASEAN regional
problems. New regional issues, therefore, should not be the
exclusive domain of the government of ASEAN.

The discussion on an ASEAN parliament should always be linked
to the three main pillars of ASEAN cooperation -- security,
economics and social and culture concerns. To strengthen such
pillars, ASEAN needs to mobilize all of its regional components,
including an ASEAN parliament. The ASEAN parliament would not
only help translate ASEAN regional policies, but also offer a
fresh perspective on the current development of the region.

Thus, the idea of a regional parliament is closely related to
the level of regional integration here in Southeast Asia,
although regional integration is a difficult and complex process.
So far an ASEAN parliament is still an idea, perhaps even a
nebulous idea. But if and when the region starts working for it,
all aspects would have to be considered carefully.

The dynamics of regional integration is best illustrated by
the European experience where credible initiatives for regional
integration started only in the fifties. The European parliament,
which was first constituted after direct election in 1979 is
evolving. The process of European integration and the evolution
of the European parliament offer useful insights for Southeast
Asia to learn from in terms of following positive results and
avoiding pitfalls, though social, political and economic
conditions in Southeast Asia are vastly different from Europe.

No other region in the developing world has come so far
forward firmly in emulating Europe in working for full
integration. ASEAN, considered by many to be more successful
compared to other regional organizations in the developing world,
had never thought of an ASEAN parliament until 1980. The reason
why the Philippines has been consistent with its idea of an ASEAN
parliament is perhaps due to its belief that the region cannot
avoid the global integrative forces brought about by the process
of globalization.

During its initial stage, an ASEAN parliament can only start
as a deliberative body. At this stage, one is not envisaging a
regional executive on the lines of the European Council or
Commission. It may still take many years before the next stage of
Southeast Asian regional integration can be contemplated. The
ASEAN parliament will therefore address its decisions or
resolutions to the individual Southeast Asia governments or even
ASEAN.

Because an ASEAN parliament will later be part of the regional
architecture, those areas where ASEAN has been working and where
there is already a regional consensus should be a subject of
consideration. This in a way will give a variety of issues to the
ASEAN parliament for deliberation. The development of an ASEAN
community by 2020 should at least serve as an entry point for the
regional parliament to consider salient regional problems faced
by the governments of ASEAN. In such a framework, an ASEAN
parliament can also deliberate upon security issues affecting the
region such as terrorism, illegal migration and money laundering.

ASEAN parliament sessions and its committee meetings may be
shared by countries in the region so that no country feels either
burdened or neglected. Such meetings will expose local people and
national media and sensitize them to fresh regional challenges.

This is how a harmonized regional perspective can gain
momentum. The members of the ASEAN parliament, hopefully free
from specific national constraints, may be able to think beyond
their national position even on complex and sensitive issues. In
the process, fresh constructive patterns may emerge for resolving
such issues, and this in turn will strengthen ASEAN's three
pillars.

Although an ASEAN parliament will not become the main regional
decision maker politically, its voice in fresh regional issues
should also be heard particularly when the vibration of regional
integration is being felt even stronger now. The idea of an ASEAN
parliament may seem quite distant, but it is not unrealistic. The
distance between the idea and reality can perhaps be bridged by
an understanding that a stable and peaceful united Southeast Asia
can be accomplished if there is a high degree of participation by
an ASEAN parliament in regional policy deliberations.

The writer (bandoro@csis.or.id) is Editor of The Indonesian
Quarterly of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies
(CSIS). He is also a lecturer in the International Relations Post
Graduate Studies Program, Faculty of Social and Political
Science, at the University of Indonesia, Jakarta