Pakatan Rakyat is celebrating the first anniversary of the four new state governments. It is certainly a right time to review the performance of the Pakatan governments and think of the way forward.

Several good policies which were trumpeted by PR component parties had been ‘KIV-ed’ for past one year, for instance job appointments base on meritocracy, an open tender system in Selangor, revival of local council elections and enactment of a freedom of information act.

A lot of criticism put the blame of these unfulfilled promises on the lack of political will by Pakatan leaders. Well, an individual’s political will might have great influence over policy reforms, but we should also investigate the institutional defects of this much-expected-from alternative coalition.

In coalition politics, executive councilors are trusted and appointed by their political parties to execute the parties’ policy at the federal, state or municipal level. It’s crucial that political parties in a ruling coalition develop consensus and set coherent policies in all aspects of administration.

Since DAP, PKR and PAS did not form a coalition and set a joint election manifesto for the 12 th general election’s last year, the communication on policies and reform plan are indeed of paramount importance.

We have witnessed the establishment of the Pakatan Rakyat secretariat and Chief Ministers Council in the past one year. Nonetheless, the secretariat is one on an ad-hoc basis akin to a joint statement releasing office. And there has been no significant outcome from the Pakatan Chief Ministers council since their first meeting in January this year.

In fact, the state level Pakatan governments need to have more dialogues to set a roadmap for these state governments. DAP, PKR and PAS state committees should put forward their policies and arguments on a roundtable and generate a reform plan agreeable by all parties.

Executive councilors are obliged to execute policies and reform plans approved by the state Pakatan secretariat. These state Pakatan secretariats, or state committees of DAP, PKR and PAS, should monitor the implementation of the reform plan and each party’s election manifesto.

These state party committees should also from time to time appraise the performance of their executive councilors with underperforming councilors being removed with a restructuring of the state executive councils if necessary.

Political parties, as a convergence of public opinion, provide leadership and direction to the government. The executive councilors, as well as the chief minister, are considered ‘trustees’ of the political party. They cannot act on their own will and must follow the directive of the state committee.

In short, Pakatan Rakyat must strengthen the parties to forming a checking and balance mechanism to oversee the policy implementation of state governments.

The executive councils must always remember they were trusted by the parties to deliver the party’s pledge to the people.

Acting on their own will or simply taking command from an unelected institution will be fail the party and the people who primarily voted for the party’s policies.