Carrying through political reforms
Friday, 29 June 2007
Syed Ishtiaque Reza
BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan has placed his 15-point reform package. The reform proposals placed through holding a press conference at his residence is categorically aimed at keeping incumbent partly Chairperson Khaleda Zia out of leadership. BNP's arch rival Awami League's aged pro-reform politicians are also active to draft a reform package to grill incumbent chief Sheikh Hasina adequately.
The political reform agenda that started with the taking over of power by the present interim government suffered a setback when a plan of sending the chiefs of both political alliances in self-exile had to be dropped.
The reform agenda also could not see the day light when the Nobel peace prize winner Muhammad Yunus pulled out himself from politics. There is now prospect of reshaping of politics as the top stalwarts of the two big parties are on the way to corner their chiefs in their respective parties.
The government, although not openly, kept the parties under pressure to practice internal democracy before the country holds free and fair elections.
The BNP secretary general said the main thrust of the proposed reform proposal is to end the dynastic leadership and ensure dynamism in the party. The same is the opinion of the Awami League's pro-reform advocates.
The government plans to ensure democracy and financial transparency in the political parties. The Election Commission has proposed that parties register with it and submit the lists of their elected leaders. Caretaker government head Fakhruddin Ahmed says, "The government does not intend to make just one election fair and impartial but wants to ensure that every future election would reflect the people's will."
People in general feel that unilateral power of the party chiefs made the two ladies largely autocratic within their parties which ultimately resulted in the reflection of the same tendency when they ran the country. Senior leaders of both parties told the media that the decentralisation of power is necessary in the parties to make them more pro-people.
So far the international community appears happy with the reform agenda of the caretaker government. So far the United States and the European Commission have extended full support to the caretaker government in carrying out the electoral reforms and the anti-corruption drive. They have strongly argued that press freedom, free movement and due process of law must be maintained in implementing the government agenda.
The caretaker government is also making conscious effort to create positive international opinion in favour of its reform agenda. With this objective it sent special envoy Farooq Sobhan to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to apprise him of various reform measures, adopted by the caretaker government to hold the election before the end of 2008.
Meanwhile, both the Awami League (AL) and the BNP have urged the caretaker government to lift restriction on internal politics soon so that they can hold council meetings to carry forward the reform agenda. And in a dramatic move communication adviser Major General (Retd) M A Matin said the government may consider allowing the parties to hold council meetings if those are aimed at reforming the parties.
Matin's remarks indicate that the caretaker government is ready to adopt a softer approach to the reform agenda. The government is, however, trying to give a legal basis for reforms within political parties. This will create an infrastructure which will help democracy within the political parties. This is a laudable effort of the caretaker government. There is no doubt that Sheikh Hasina and Begum Zia have played a crucial role in Bangladesh politics. But the way they have governed the country has left a lot to be desired. The emergency rule has created a field for those in the parties who want true democracy in the parties.
Still, it is not sufficient enough to bring any major change in the way these organisations have been functioning. The civil society of Bangladesh has also emphatically advocated the need for democratic changes within the parties as a way of ensuring credible general elections and a stable democratic order. At the same time, the government must take some measures which would increase confidence of the political parties. For instance, the demand to remove the ban on indoor politics has been raised not only by the political parties but also by the Election Commission. The EC thinks that for any meaningful political reform, it must hold consultation with the stake holders i.e. political parties. This is not possible unless the ban on indoor politics is lifted. But seeing no immediate prospect of indoor politics, the EC plans to finalise the voter list without any discussion with the political parties.
Malice and vengeance of political parties caused a huge damage to the country. The country was deprived of real democracy and leadership in the name of party politics in the past.
In fact, Bangladesh witnessed elections many times. But democracy was dimmed through those elections.
Good governance can be established only through real democracy. There is no denying that to build a happy, prosperous and corruption-free society, Bangladesh has to establish fair democracy and justice.
BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan has placed his 15-point reform package. The reform proposals placed through holding a press conference at his residence is categorically aimed at keeping incumbent partly Chairperson Khaleda Zia out of leadership. BNP's arch rival Awami League's aged pro-reform politicians are also active to draft a reform package to grill incumbent chief Sheikh Hasina adequately.
The political reform agenda that started with the taking over of power by the present interim government suffered a setback when a plan of sending the chiefs of both political alliances in self-exile had to be dropped.
The reform agenda also could not see the day light when the Nobel peace prize winner Muhammad Yunus pulled out himself from politics. There is now prospect of reshaping of politics as the top stalwarts of the two big parties are on the way to corner their chiefs in their respective parties.
The government, although not openly, kept the parties under pressure to practice internal democracy before the country holds free and fair elections.
The BNP secretary general said the main thrust of the proposed reform proposal is to end the dynastic leadership and ensure dynamism in the party. The same is the opinion of the Awami League's pro-reform advocates.
The government plans to ensure democracy and financial transparency in the political parties. The Election Commission has proposed that parties register with it and submit the lists of their elected leaders. Caretaker government head Fakhruddin Ahmed says, "The government does not intend to make just one election fair and impartial but wants to ensure that every future election would reflect the people's will."
People in general feel that unilateral power of the party chiefs made the two ladies largely autocratic within their parties which ultimately resulted in the reflection of the same tendency when they ran the country. Senior leaders of both parties told the media that the decentralisation of power is necessary in the parties to make them more pro-people.
So far the international community appears happy with the reform agenda of the caretaker government. So far the United States and the European Commission have extended full support to the caretaker government in carrying out the electoral reforms and the anti-corruption drive. They have strongly argued that press freedom, free movement and due process of law must be maintained in implementing the government agenda.
The caretaker government is also making conscious effort to create positive international opinion in favour of its reform agenda. With this objective it sent special envoy Farooq Sobhan to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to apprise him of various reform measures, adopted by the caretaker government to hold the election before the end of 2008.
Meanwhile, both the Awami League (AL) and the BNP have urged the caretaker government to lift restriction on internal politics soon so that they can hold council meetings to carry forward the reform agenda. And in a dramatic move communication adviser Major General (Retd) M A Matin said the government may consider allowing the parties to hold council meetings if those are aimed at reforming the parties.
Matin's remarks indicate that the caretaker government is ready to adopt a softer approach to the reform agenda. The government is, however, trying to give a legal basis for reforms within political parties. This will create an infrastructure which will help democracy within the political parties. This is a laudable effort of the caretaker government. There is no doubt that Sheikh Hasina and Begum Zia have played a crucial role in Bangladesh politics. But the way they have governed the country has left a lot to be desired. The emergency rule has created a field for those in the parties who want true democracy in the parties.
Still, it is not sufficient enough to bring any major change in the way these organisations have been functioning. The civil society of Bangladesh has also emphatically advocated the need for democratic changes within the parties as a way of ensuring credible general elections and a stable democratic order. At the same time, the government must take some measures which would increase confidence of the political parties. For instance, the demand to remove the ban on indoor politics has been raised not only by the political parties but also by the Election Commission. The EC thinks that for any meaningful political reform, it must hold consultation with the stake holders i.e. political parties. This is not possible unless the ban on indoor politics is lifted. But seeing no immediate prospect of indoor politics, the EC plans to finalise the voter list without any discussion with the political parties.
Malice and vengeance of political parties caused a huge damage to the country. The country was deprived of real democracy and leadership in the name of party politics in the past.
In fact, Bangladesh witnessed elections many times. But democracy was dimmed through those elections.
Good governance can be established only through real democracy. There is no denying that to build a happy, prosperous and corruption-free society, Bangladesh has to establish fair democracy and justice.