Dear Editor,
People who are much more erudite have kept repeating Article 106 (6) of the Constitution as follows: ‘The Cabinet including the President shall resign if the government is defeated by the vote of a majority of all the elected members of the National Assembly on a vote of no confidence’.
My taxi-man asked me simply “just when in the three months period to new elections should they resign?”
My response was that “I will have to check that one.”
He persisted, while braking the vehicle sharply from not paying attention to the traffic. “If there is no government, how can there be an Opposition?” Fortunately, he had to manoeuvre a right turn, which gave me pause to think so that I could answer as carefully as possible.
But his thought processes, for what they were worth, were much too hasty to await any response. He simply proceeded “If there is going to be a ‘caretaker government’, would it make any sense for people, who we say we have no confidence in, to ask them to take care of what government? What if the ‘majority’ take care or the two of them get together and try out something?”
This guy was going too fast for me – “who you been talking to?” I asked, trying to avoid giving him stupid answers.
He ignored my stupidity anyhow, and went on: “For one thing, they have to agree a budget for the elections. So they have to have some sort of Parliament. So instead of any more ‘Majority’, they could work on the budget together. Then there would be no suspicion about rigging elections.”
Mercifully, we had reached our destination. I wished him a prosperous New Year, and promised to give what he said some thought.
As it turned out, all I can do is write down what he said, for truth.
Yours faithfully
E.B. John
