Elections and clean candidates
Tuesday, 23 October 2007
Mozammel Hossain
THE very shocking disclosures in recent times about corruption, misuse of power and ill gotten wealth have made a mockery of the old-style political system and the political process of Bangladesh.
Many of these crimes were known in the past or apprehended. But there was no way to press charges for the same and bring them into light. But the coming into power of the present reconstituted caretaker government and its engaging sincerely in the tasks of national redemption right from the day one of its tenure, has rekindled national hope.
There is now a very great awareness among people about how important it is to nominate honest and capable candidates for the coming national elections. This awareness may have been restricted initially to intellectuals or among the enlightened members of the present government. But now the people in general are also very much one in feeling and aspiring for deep changes in the political process.
It has crystallised among countrymen in general how the country was again and again getting cheated out from making its optimum progress in all fields from corrupt governance. Bangladeshis love democracy and they have been making great sacrifices for it. But this quest for democracy must not end with only creating conditions for free and fair holding of the election by bringing about changes in the Election Commission which is expected to oversee and conduct every phase of the election process.
It will only make sense when the people not only win their rights to franchise in a free and fair polls but also are ensured that they would be casting their votes to select reasonably clean persons compared to the past who may be relied on to govern the country in their best interests and would not misuse their powers or indulge in corruption. Free and fair elections cannot be an end in itself. It must lead to selection of men and women of high integrity and abilities to work for the public good to make meaningful what things have happened in the country in the last nine months and sacrifices made before this period.
It is heartening to note that the government and the Election Commission (EC) remain well aware of what is expected from them in this connection. The Election Commission has been preparing guidelines that would make it difficult or impossible for the political parties to nominate unworthy persons as candidates for the national elections. Political parties are being involved in the process of consultation for giving their views on these guidelines and the EC has declared that it would not like to superimpose anything but would only want acceptance of their proposals by the stakeholders on seeing the merit of the same. But there are possibilities that vested interests in the political parties may want to resist such reforms. In that case, pressure must be put on these interest groups to withdraw their obstructive role or risk total isolation and actions from all in the country who are for cleaning up the election process.
The clamour must be made loud enough from right now that the political parties must nominate only honest and capable persons in the upcoming elections. Civil society, the media and the intelligentsia must take the lead in sharpening already existing public awareness about this need and to pile enough pressure on the political parties to this end. In sum, a campaign must be started and maintained on a high pitch to ensure that the parties are obliged to field only clean and competent candidates.
THE very shocking disclosures in recent times about corruption, misuse of power and ill gotten wealth have made a mockery of the old-style political system and the political process of Bangladesh.
Many of these crimes were known in the past or apprehended. But there was no way to press charges for the same and bring them into light. But the coming into power of the present reconstituted caretaker government and its engaging sincerely in the tasks of national redemption right from the day one of its tenure, has rekindled national hope.
There is now a very great awareness among people about how important it is to nominate honest and capable candidates for the coming national elections. This awareness may have been restricted initially to intellectuals or among the enlightened members of the present government. But now the people in general are also very much one in feeling and aspiring for deep changes in the political process.
It has crystallised among countrymen in general how the country was again and again getting cheated out from making its optimum progress in all fields from corrupt governance. Bangladeshis love democracy and they have been making great sacrifices for it. But this quest for democracy must not end with only creating conditions for free and fair holding of the election by bringing about changes in the Election Commission which is expected to oversee and conduct every phase of the election process.
It will only make sense when the people not only win their rights to franchise in a free and fair polls but also are ensured that they would be casting their votes to select reasonably clean persons compared to the past who may be relied on to govern the country in their best interests and would not misuse their powers or indulge in corruption. Free and fair elections cannot be an end in itself. It must lead to selection of men and women of high integrity and abilities to work for the public good to make meaningful what things have happened in the country in the last nine months and sacrifices made before this period.
It is heartening to note that the government and the Election Commission (EC) remain well aware of what is expected from them in this connection. The Election Commission has been preparing guidelines that would make it difficult or impossible for the political parties to nominate unworthy persons as candidates for the national elections. Political parties are being involved in the process of consultation for giving their views on these guidelines and the EC has declared that it would not like to superimpose anything but would only want acceptance of their proposals by the stakeholders on seeing the merit of the same. But there are possibilities that vested interests in the political parties may want to resist such reforms. In that case, pressure must be put on these interest groups to withdraw their obstructive role or risk total isolation and actions from all in the country who are for cleaning up the election process.
The clamour must be made loud enough from right now that the political parties must nominate only honest and capable persons in the upcoming elections. Civil society, the media and the intelligentsia must take the lead in sharpening already existing public awareness about this need and to pile enough pressure on the political parties to this end. In sum, a campaign must be started and maintained on a high pitch to ensure that the parties are obliged to field only clean and competent candidates.