The Size Of The Cabinet And The Allocation Of Departments To Ministries
By R.M.B Senanayake -October 21, 2014
R.M.B. Senanayake
Northcote Parkinson in his book published in the 1980s gave the size of the Cabinet of Ministers in several countries in 1978.It was seven in Switzerland, 12 in the USA,20 in Great Britain and France, 37 in the USSR and 44 in China. He says that the coefficient of inefficiency must lie between 19 and 22. He says we should draw a line under the 20 for beyond that number the Cabinet is not the real seat of power. In such countries there is an inner Cabinet or a smaller group who exercise the real power. It is a general proposition that complex decisions should be made by persons who understand the subject. When I was in the public service I was privileged to be called to a Cabinet meeting- to a Cabinet which was adorned by the likes of Dr. N.M Perera, Dr Colvin R. De Silva and Felix Dias Banadaranaike who was my Minister. I was surprised by the fact that except for these knowledgeable men none others were interested in the subject. My role was to be a backroom boy to provide the facts to my Minister. How many Ministers who are no patch on these previous Ministers, can carry on a meaningful discussion today? Yet we have 50-60 of them.
Ministers must be knowledgeable and competent administrators
The original Executive Presidential system of government unlike the Westminster system was based on a strict separation of powers between the three organs of the State to ensure freedom – a proposition formulated by the French political scientist- Montesquieu. So in USA the Secretaries of State –the equivalent of our Ministers, are drawn from outside Congress- the Legislature. The men appointed are all persons who are experienced in administration either public or business administration. The French Constitution continued this separation and insisted that where a Member of the ‘Parlement ‘was appointed to the Executive branch as a Minister he would have to first resign his seat in the Parliament but may attend its meeting without a vote. The French appointed retired public servants to the Executive branch to obtain the necessary skill and expertise required to be a Minister. We have appointed a whole horde of semi-educated MPs as Ministers to supervise and run the Departments. Result is chaos .Read More
