The Parliament's four functions

The Constitution gives Parliament four broad kinds of work. It is worth keeping all four in mind, because people usually remember only one.

First, constitutional functions. These include electing the President and Vice President, and amending the Constitution itself.

Parliament is also trusted with upholding the Constitution's core values:

• parliamentary democracy through universal adult suffrage;
• the separation of powers between legislature, executive and judiciary;
• federalism;
• Fundamental Rights and the Directive Principles of State Policy, through laws and policies.

Second, lawmaking: the job everyone thinks of first.

Third, executive accountability. Parliament makes the government explain and justify its actions.

Fourth, financial accountability. Parliament approves and watches government spending through the annual budget, and checks how money is shared out to the different ministries.

That fourth one deserves a moment. Ask: whose money does the government spend? It is collected from the people as tax.

So the body elected by the people controls the purse. A government that could spend without approval would never need to explain itself, whatever other rules said. For this to work, the government must give Parliament information that is both timely and accurate.