Polls under caretaker govt inevitable, seminar told

FE Team | Published: December 30, 2012 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

FE Report
Discussants at a seminar Saturday said a neutral caretaker government has become inevitable for holding the next general election due to politicisation of various government institutions which will conduct the election and the undemocratic behaviour of the major political parties.
They also said elections have become a money game and the parliament a place for businessmen. The country has reached a political cliff and the civil society, who could play an active role for holding of a free and fair election, has become an evil society by becoming highly politicised.
These observations came at a seminar on 'Peaceful Transition of Power: Options for Bangladesh' at the CIRDAP auditorium in the city. The Centre For Sustainable Development (CFSD) organised the seminar where Akbar Ali Khan, former caretaker government adviser, was present as the chief guest.
Chaired by CFSD president Ambassador Anwar Hashim, the seminar was moderated by its secretary general Mahfuz Ullah.
Dhaka University Law Dept's Professor Borhan Uddin Khan presented the keynote paper at the seminar.
Dhaka University's Professor Dilara Chowdhury, SUJAN secretary Badiul Alam Majumder and Ambassador M Serajul Islam (Rtd) were present as the designated discussants.
Akbar Ali Khan said the government in Bangladesh has too much power, especially the prime minister (PM), that it seems even the Mughal emperor did not have that much power.
"The PM has so much power that she can do anything. This kind of situation has made the question of a neutral caretaker government inevitable," said Akbar Ali Khan.
He said though there is no provision of caretaker government in the constitution of India, there are a number of examples of governor's rule when any provincial government becomes seriously controversial.
Pakistan also has created an option like this, Akbar Ali Khan added.
Referring to the developed nations that there is no option of caretaker government in a democratic system, he said there is a difference in the situations that exists in the Western countries and in Bangladesh, as all power is concentrated in one office here.
"As there is federal government system in those countries, there is check and balance of power," he said.
Referring to the book, Asamapta Atmajiboni of Bangabandhu (Incomplete Autobiography of Bangabandhu'), he said, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman himself described how the government had tried to influence the election. The demand of caretaker government was not an idea of 1996, but it was born in 1954.
Referring to the government's claim of strengthening the Election Commission (EC), the veteran economist asked why there was the need of strengthening of the EC? "It means there is something wrong," he added.
Akbar Ali Khan suggested four different options for consideration of the government and the opposition, two major political parties of the country currently involved in a political row over holding of the next general election.
Badiul Alam Majumder said neutral caretaker government during the election is a means of peaceful transition of power and it is essential for making the election free and fair.
He said the way the present EC has been restructured is under question as the search committee for selecting election commissioner was a partisan one. The present EC has so far failed to gain any public confidence, he added.
Criticising the political parties and the EC, he said the EC even did not make public the disclosures made by the political parties.
Referring to various front organisations of the political parties and undemocratic practices inside the parties, he said: "it is unfortunate for us that the political parties are engaged in defying the electoral laws and the commission hardly has any willingness to check those."
"Bangladesh's civil society has become an evil society as they either belong to Awami League or Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)," he said.
In the keynote presentation, Borhan Uddin said the elections with a contesting party in power were ultimately proved to be either 'less credible' or 'not credible' and those coming to power through these elections could not survive long.
He also said it is naïve to think that any ruling party's attitude would be different in general elections where the stake to misuse the state apparatus for partisan interests is very high.
Any show of 'so-called fair election' in by-elections and local government elections cannot be seen as a guarantee for fair and credible general elections, especially, when the instances of misusing the state apparatus for partisan interest is on the rise, he added.