The Shadow government is made up of the leader and members of the opposition who keep close tab of the incumbent government by appointing its own ministers. That is the meaning of shadow. The opposition cabinet members shadow policies and projects of ministers of the sitting government. The key to this structure is the permanent civil service who stay in their jobs whatever the government and ensures stability and continuity.
It addresses two things: one, to continue policies and projects that are good for the country when the Opposition takes over, and second to look out for defects and flaws. If the flaws are big enough it may call for a no-confidence vote. The principle behind this is at the heart of government. The shadow government is one of the strong points of the British parliamentary system.
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Carmen Pedrosa. "Shadow government; when the young die." The Philippine Star, July 3, 2011, 15.
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