'Civil-military co-op must for a functioning democracy'
Friday, 28 December 2007
Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury has said effective civil-military cooperation, both in times of peace and in war, is a must for a functioning democracy, reports UNB.
"If the military can play a constructive role in times of war, they can play a similar role in times of peace too.
“There is no inherent contradiction between democratic aspirations and aspirations of the armed forces. They only complement each other," he said.
Speaking at a seminar on 'Role of the Armed Forces in Strengthening Democracy: A Proposal for National Security and Development Council' at BILIA Auditorium Thursday, he said, "Many tend to view the interest of democracy and that of the armed forces as mutually incompatible… To build a better society, we must think in more inclusive terms. An emerging nation can ill afford a divisive mindset."
Iftekhar said many of the modern democracies emerged from the ashes of war. Their armed forces -- more often than not -- played a catalytic role in securing their independence and statehoods.
He said, "In many cases, generals and military leaders are their national heroes. Let's not forget General Washington and General De Gaulle were critical factors, not only in leading their respective liberation wars, but also in promoting democratic ethos and norms in their nascent states."
The adviser said: "Our armed forces have earned acclaim for their significant contribution to UN peacekeeping operations, which require extensive civil-military cooperation."
He said modern peacekeeping operations require a multi-disciplinary, multi-stakeholder approach. Development was an important component of peacekeeping and peace building operations.
"Given our national experience in excellent civil-military cooperation, we should be able to continue our robust presence in multi-dimensional peace and development operations. This will, in turn, contribute to strengthening our democracy," Iftekhar observed.
He said pluralism was the essential characteristic of a modern democracy. It was only expected that divergent views would persist in a democratic society, but all views must converge on the issue of national interest and national security.
The adviser said a wider spectrum of trans-state, intra-state and personal violence had replaced inter-state conflicts. The preponderance of 'human security' threats, such as epidemic and natural disasters, had also grown.
He said safeguarding national security was a collective responsibility. It required collective actions. There was scope for specialisation, but not for compartmentalisation.
We must learn to pursue our defensive and offensive security interests in sync with each other, Chowdhury said.
He said the on-going voter ID project, jointly implemented by the Election Commission and the armed forces, would put democracy on a much stronger footing. This would reduce the possibility of electoral frauds and ensure smooth transition of power -- the key requirements for a functioning democracy.
Former adviser Mahbubul Alam, former Army Chief Lt Gen Mahbubur Rahman, NDC Commandant Abu Tyeb M Zahirul Alam, Additional Foreign Secretary MAK Mahmood and Prof Imtiaz Ahmed of Dhaka University spoke at the seminar.
"If the military can play a constructive role in times of war, they can play a similar role in times of peace too.
“There is no inherent contradiction between democratic aspirations and aspirations of the armed forces. They only complement each other," he said.
Speaking at a seminar on 'Role of the Armed Forces in Strengthening Democracy: A Proposal for National Security and Development Council' at BILIA Auditorium Thursday, he said, "Many tend to view the interest of democracy and that of the armed forces as mutually incompatible… To build a better society, we must think in more inclusive terms. An emerging nation can ill afford a divisive mindset."
Iftekhar said many of the modern democracies emerged from the ashes of war. Their armed forces -- more often than not -- played a catalytic role in securing their independence and statehoods.
He said, "In many cases, generals and military leaders are their national heroes. Let's not forget General Washington and General De Gaulle were critical factors, not only in leading their respective liberation wars, but also in promoting democratic ethos and norms in their nascent states."
The adviser said: "Our armed forces have earned acclaim for their significant contribution to UN peacekeeping operations, which require extensive civil-military cooperation."
He said modern peacekeeping operations require a multi-disciplinary, multi-stakeholder approach. Development was an important component of peacekeeping and peace building operations.
"Given our national experience in excellent civil-military cooperation, we should be able to continue our robust presence in multi-dimensional peace and development operations. This will, in turn, contribute to strengthening our democracy," Iftekhar observed.
He said pluralism was the essential characteristic of a modern democracy. It was only expected that divergent views would persist in a democratic society, but all views must converge on the issue of national interest and national security.
The adviser said a wider spectrum of trans-state, intra-state and personal violence had replaced inter-state conflicts. The preponderance of 'human security' threats, such as epidemic and natural disasters, had also grown.
He said safeguarding national security was a collective responsibility. It required collective actions. There was scope for specialisation, but not for compartmentalisation.
We must learn to pursue our defensive and offensive security interests in sync with each other, Chowdhury said.
He said the on-going voter ID project, jointly implemented by the Election Commission and the armed forces, would put democracy on a much stronger footing. This would reduce the possibility of electoral frauds and ensure smooth transition of power -- the key requirements for a functioning democracy.
Former adviser Mahbubul Alam, former Army Chief Lt Gen Mahbubur Rahman, NDC Commandant Abu Tyeb M Zahirul Alam, Additional Foreign Secretary MAK Mahmood and Prof Imtiaz Ahmed of Dhaka University spoke at the seminar.