13. CULTURE OF RECONCILIATION IN PARLIAMENT

(Translated by Dang Linh Chi)

What is parliament? Why do Vietnamese people have such a funny phrase “yes-man” (a representative who just nods)? Parliament is a Western-style organizational structure whose foundation can be traced back to Ancient Greek’s Athenian parliamentary system, where representatives of the people would convene a public meeting at the foot of a hill, and on the hill were the people observing and listening to the meeting. All delegates were publicly supervised for their even least noticeable opinion and behavior. This system was followed by the Roman Republican regime, with the Senate consisting of prestigious seniors who represented the people to supervise the King’s authority. Then came Britain's political reform after centuries which proposed a similar but at a higher peak model which was called “Mother of Parliaments.”

So "Parliament" in Chinese literally means: a house in which people can voice up. “Parliament” means the delegates are elected to that house. So why do countries need such a house where people can voice up? More nobly, why do we need an institute to express our opinions? Most people answer that: one hand cannot make a clap. This means if we only have one hand then it cannot express their joy with applause. And there is a proverb: If there is no discussion, there will not be an effective strategy. There is another proverb by a writer: No one can fool fools once they get together. These two proverbs mean that when everyone's intellect is assembled, even if all of them are dumb or uneducated, it is still difficult to fool them. Therefore, in order to ensure the development and prosperity of a \nation, it is necessary to have an institute where the most intelligent delegates who represent the people can assemble to discuss and find the most efficacious strategy to ensure the well-being of the people.

Parliament is a house where everyone can voice up. Members of parliament or congressmen are those who come to parliament to speak up, to express their opinions. The Chinese believe that everything will not be successful without “vỡ quẻ” (*) - an inevitable happening. Thus, what is “an inevitable happening”? If the grain is not pounded, it cannot be turned into rice. If rice is not cooked in boiled water, it cannot be turned into cooked rice. If a match is not stricken, it cannot produce a flame. Male is positive and female is negative but if they do not have sexual intercourse, there cannot be a fetus. If there is no rupture of amniotic membranes, there cannot be a baby. If two gladiators do not have a fight, there cannot be a loser and a winner and the victory crown will not be conferred on anyone. Therefore, if people’s opinions do not clash, they will not be tested and complemented. These are all “inevitable happenings”.

Parliament is not simply a house but it is always synonymous with “congress” which means that Parliament is the door open to politics, where people discuss executive affairs and then ratify the law which is directly related to the life of the citizen. From the seniors at the Roman Senate to the constitutional monarchy of the British parliamentary regime, there were always two main duties: firstly, to express the wishes of the people and secondly, to control the power of the King, to supervise whether the King accomplished what he had pledged to the people.

If the members of parliament who are the highest representatives of the people do not accomplish such duties then who will? Every parliament has its own structure and architecture. Both this structure and architecture help to ensure that every member can speak up and all the citizens who want to observe will be able to observe. And this architectural structure simulates the Athenian Congress, which means it is hill-shaped. Parliament usually has a certain architecture: the chairperson is sitting in the middle of the room, surrounded by benches rising upwards like the hillsides. The chairperson is the most majestic, but is seated the lowest so that he/she can listen to honor all the congressmen sitting on the higher seats.

In the past, people mocked the puppet members by calling them “yes-men” which meant they agreed with everything put forward even when the discussion had not been finished, just like the drowsy puppets expecting a go-slow. And today, people also have another witty phrase for the distracted parliamentarians who neglect their responsibilities as delegates - “clap-men” which means they are always applauding. Therefore, being a member of parliament is difficult, they are the highest representatives for the best interests of the people as well as the social structure, this means their political life will be closely supervised by a lot of people. For the sake of the whole nation, the parliamentarians cannot just nod or clap, but they must play their role, which is speaking up their opinions. The mouth must be wide open, and this is also the symbol in the town hall in Venice, Italy. But how do you voice up? Asians still have the tradition of agreeing with everyone, being neutral or just going into a monologue without any certain political stance rather than having a dialogue. Therefore, in the international and national conferences and seminars, the proportion of valid political opinions of the Eastern nations is always lower than that of the Western ones.

But our topic is reconciliation. Reconciliation in parliament. So we will return to our main topic. If you want to have a good opinion, you cannot be silent. That silence is also a way of eliminating spiritual intellect or at least making it impossible to put forward the right point of view. First of all, we all have to speak up. Speaking up is not just to show off for fun but our opinions must be challenged with dialogues. In dialogue, it is necessary to listen to the reasonable opinions of each other. But this is also the weakness of Eastern people. Most people are usually very aggressive, even if they run out of arguments, they still do not give in but instead run away in honor by making others think that they do not lose. For a random person, whether he sticks to his argument or runs out of argument but then he eventually accepts the opinions of others, it is his own business. But for a congressman, his attitude is directly related to the affairs of state.

The philosopher Socrates said: "If you agree with me, don’t think that you have lost, it is just that you agree with the truth spoken in my name.” This means, whenever we argue with each other, do not hold a bitter attitude and regard the argument as a fight where there must be a winner and a loser. Socrates advised that: when talking, no one loses or wins, if there is only one winner, it is only the truth. Truth does not belong to you or me, it’s just something spoken in our name. Hopefully, all the parliamentarians, in the best interests of their whole nation, will disregard their own egoistic attitude and instead foster the culture of contributing to dialogues in search of truth. We should together discuss courteously and calmly in order to recognize what is true and beneficial for the whole nation as well as to deserve to participate in the global integration.

Paul Duc 30/4/2016

(*) vỡ quẻ: a Vietnamese phrase meaning “an inevitable happening”

Bài 13: NGHỊ TRƯỜNG VỚI VĂN HÓA HÒA GIẢI (Paul Nguyễn Hoàng Đức)

Nghị viện là gì? Tại sao người Việt lại có cụm từ rất hay “nghị gật”? Nghị viện là cơ cấu tổ chức theo mô hình phương Tây, nó được mở màn từ chế độ đại nghị Athen của Hy Lạp, hình thức là những đại biểu của dân chúng sẽ họp mở công khai dưới chân một ngọn đồi, bên trên đồi là những người dân được thoải mái quan sát, lắng nghe. Các đại biểu đều bị giám sát công khai về tư tưởng cũng như thái độ ứng xử nhỏ nhất. Tiếp đó là chế độ Cộng hòa La Mã, với nguyên lão nghị viện, bao gồm những người cao tuổi có uy tín là đại biểu cho dân chúng thực hiện sự giám sát quyền lực của nhà vua. Rôi đến cuộc cải cách chính trị của nước Anh sau nhiều thế kỷ, mang đến một mô hình tương tự nhưng ở một đỉnh rất cao được mệnh danh là “Người mẹ của các nghị viện” (Mother of Parliaments).

Vậy thì “nghị viện” theo Hán tự, dịch nghĩa là: cái viện để nói. “Nghị viên” là những thành viên đại biểu được bầu vào cái viện để nói đó. Tại sao quốc gia lại cần có một cái viện để nói ? Nói cao cả hơn, tại sao chúng ta lại cần có một cái viện để biểu đạt những ý kiến của mình? Người đời nói: một bàn tay không làm nên tiếng vỗ. Đúng thế nếu chúng ta chỉ có một bàn tay, thì nó không cách gì biểu đạt sự hân hoan bằng tiếng vỗ tay. Và có một phương ngôn chí tử rằng : Ở đâu không có sự bàn bạc thì không thể có mưu sâu! Còn có một phương ngôn khác của một văn hào rằng : Những kẻ ngu khi họ hợp lại thì không ai lừa được. Có nghĩa là, khi trí tuệ của mọi người được tập hợp lại, thì cho dù người ta có thiểu năng hay ít học đi nữa, thì cũng khó mà lừa được. Vì thế để đảm bảo cho một quốc gia được phát triển lành mạnh, người ta rất cần phải có một cái viện để mọi đại biểu thông thái nhất đại diện cho dân chúng đến để bàn bạc tìm ra mưu cao để phục vụ mọi người.

Nghị viện là “cái viện để nói”. Nghị viên hay ông nghị là người đến đó để nói, cũng là đến để biểu tỏ chính kiến của mình. Người Trung Quốc cho rằng: vạn vật sẽ không thành nếu không được “vỡ quẻ”. Vỡ quẻ là gì? Hạt thóc nếu không được đem vào giã, thì không thể thành gạo. Gạo không cho vào nồi nước sôi nấu lên không thể thành cơm. Que diêm không đánh lên không thể thành ngọn lửa. Có trai có gái là có dương có âm, nhưng không hợp cẩn thì không thể có thai nhi. Có thai nhi mà không vỡ nước ối thì không thể có hài nhi… Hai đấu sĩ không đấu với nhau thì không thể có kẻ thua người thắng, vương miện vinh quang biết trao cho ai. Vậy thì chính kiến của người ta cũng vậy nếu không được đánh vào nhau tóe lửa như hai viên đá thì sẽ không thể vỡ quẻ thành chính kiến được cọ sát và kiểm nghiệm cũng như bổ xung nâng cấp cao hơn.

Nghị viện không đơn giản là viện, mà nó luôn đồng nghĩa với “Nghị trường”, nghĩa là nghị viện là cánh cửa mở vào chính trường, ở đó người ta bàn đến những công việc hành pháp rồi thông qua những điều của luật pháp, liên quan trực tiếp đến đời sống của quốc gia. Từ nguyên lão nghị viện của La Mã đến Quân chủ lập hiến của chế độ đại nghị Anh Quốc, người ta thường làm hai việc chính: thứ nhất bày tỏ nguyện vọng của dân chúng; thứ hai kiểm soát quyền lực của nhà vua, xem vua có thực thi những gì mình cam kết với dân chúng.

Nếu các nghị viên là đại biểu cao nhất của dân chúng mà không làm thì ai làm. Mọi nghị viện đều có cấu trúc và kiến trúc của nó. Cả cấu trúc và kiến trúc đó đều đảm bảo cho các nghị viên được dễ dàng nói, và những công dân muốn quan sát sẽ dễ dàng xem. Và mô hình kiến trúc này được mô hình theo lối của Đại nghị Athen, nghĩa là dưới chân ngọn đồi. Nghị viện thường có một kiến trúc: chủ tọa gần như ngồi thấp nhất lọt thỏm giữa những hàng ghế bao quanh dâng lên như những triền đồi. Chủ tọa là người oai nhất, nhưng lại bị ngồi thấp nhất, để lắng nghe và tôn vinh những nghị viên ngồi trên những hàng ghế cao hơn.

Ngày xưa, dân chúng đã mỉa mai những nghị viên bù nhìn rằng: “nghị gật”, nghĩa là mấy bố bảo sao nghe vậy, chưa nói xong đã gật cho nhanh, chẳng khác gì mấy con rối lúc nào cũng gà gật ngủ để lãn công. Còn ngày nay, dân chúng cũng có một lối hóm hỉnh giành cho những nghị viên sao nhãng trách nhiệm làm đại biểu của mình là “nghị vỗ”, tức mấy ngài chỉ giỏi vỗ tay. Như vậy làm một nghị viên thật khó, họ là đại biểu cao cấp cho quyền lợi cao nhất của dân chúng cũng như cơ cấu xã hội , đó là đời sống chính trị mà, nhất cử nhất động đều bị quan trên trông xuống người ta trông vào. Vì quyền lợi của cả quốc gia, các nghị viên không thể chỉ có gật đầu hay vỗ tay, mà họ phải làm đúng chức phận của họ, đến để nói. Cái mồm mở to, đó cũng chính là biểu tượng trong tòa thị chính ở Venice nước Ý. Nhưng nói thế nào? Người Á Đông vẫn có truyền thống nói ba phải, nói trung dung “dĩ hòa vi quí”, hoặc cần nói thì không phải là đối thoại mà là nói vô thưởng vô phạt chẳng có chính kiến gì, chính thế mà trong các hội nghị và các cuộc hội thảo quốc tế và quốc nội, tỉ lệ chính kiến xác đáng của các nước phương Đông ít hơn hẳn các nước phương Tây.

Nhưng đề tài của chúng ta là hòa giải. Hòa giải nơi nghị trường. Vậy chúng ta sẽ quay lại đề tài sát sườn của mình. Muốn có chính kiến hay thì không thể im lặng. Im lặng đó cũng là cách triệt tiêu toàn thể trí tuệ ở bên trong của tinh thần hay chí ít không thể đưa chính kiến dù tốt đẹp ra thực thi. Trước hết chung ta phải nói lên. Nói lên không phải khoe mẽ cho vui mà nó phải được va chạm, cọ sát , hun đúc, lửa thử vàng bằng đối thoại. Trong đối thoại, thì cần nhất phải biết lắng nghe những gì khả lý của nhau. Nhưng đây cũng là đặc điểm yếu nhất của người phương Đông. Đa số thường rất hiếu thắng, dù mình đuối lý, cũng không chịu thua, mà tìm cách chạy trốn trong danh dự, chạy trốn bằng cách làm cho người xung quanh hiểu rằng, tôi chẳng thua đâu nhé. Một con người bên ngoài cãi lý hay đuối lý, rồi chấp nhận lý là việc riêng của anh ta, nhưng một nghị viên thì thái độ tiếp xử với cái lý “nói phải củ cải cũng nghe” có liên quan đến một tầm vóc rất lớn là quốc gia.

Triết gia Socrate nói: “Nếu bạn đồng ý với tôi, bạn đừng nghĩ là bạn đã thua, mà bạn chỉ đồng ý với chân lý mà tôi đã nhân danh”. Nghĩa là khi chúng ta tranh cãi với nhau thì đừng đem tinh thần cay cú như lao vào một cuộc đánh lộn, ở đó có người thắng kẻ thua. Socrate khuyên rằng: khi đối thoại, không có ai thua hay thắng cả, nếu có kẻ thắng duy nhất, thì đó là lẽ phải mà thôi. Lẽ phải không phải của anh, không phải của tôi, mà là thứ chúng ta chỉ nhân danh mà thôi. Hy vọng rằng: những nghị viên sẽ vì mục đích cao cả hơn của quốc gia mà xem nhẹ tính sĩ diện ái ngã của cá nhân, biết xây dựng văn hóa đối thoại đi tìm chân lý. Cùng nhau nhã nhặn và hòa giải để bình tâm nhận ra những gì là chân lý, hay và tốt cho quốc gia dân tộc cũng như xứng đáng nhất để tham dự vào cuộc hội nhập đua hoa đua sắc với hoàn cầu. NHĐ 30/4/2016

Paul Nguyễn Hoàng Đức

13. CULTURE OF RECONCILIATION IN PARLIAMENT

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