Political parties must tell people what they aim to do
Thursday, 13 November 2008
Enayet Rasul
Less than six weeks are left before the holding of the long waited national elections to transfer power on a long term basis to an elected government. The coming election is also not a routine one to be held. There are very important expectations from it. The normal elections pattern was broken to allow for a caretaker government of extraordinary duration of two years to create the space and time the political players needed for self assessment leading to their reforms and creating hopes that they would indeed make a fresh new start.
Supremely, the general expectation of all conscious and relatively enlightened sections of people in Bangladesh has been that the coming elections would indeed be an watershed marking a vigorous turn for the better in every sense in the country's political and economic life. It was the longing over the last twenty four months from people that the elections would set the country on a sustainable course of political stability with the winners in the election getting down to addressing very serious national problems like the power crisis and others from the day one in office.
But where are the signs of these hopes getting fulfilled, even partially ? First of all, let us examine the prospects of political stability. Only weeks are left before the election but one of the two main political parties is still not decided about its participation in the election. Rather, they are lambasting the Election Commission (EC) and other institutions under the incumbent government and even blaming the government on unusually heated terms for its undependability and partisanship and expressing views like how they can participate in elections under these conditions.
Without discussing the merits of the charges by persons at the helm of this party, it should suffice to say that all others in the political fields are quite uncomplaining about going to election under the present conditions. But the concern is not about who participates and who do not in the election. The concern is that non participation by one of the two main parties could put the credibility of the election under doubt as well as sowing the seeds of instability beyond the election. The non participators would again likely start agitation and all other disruptive acts on the basis of their view that the elected ones do not so much enjoy legitimacy because they did not win in an election contested by them. Thus, a singularly important goal of elections-2008 -- political stability on a lasting basis -- would stand to be defeated.
Why and for what reasons neither the government nor this dissenting political party could sort out their differences and ensure the holding of the election in time under conditions accepted by all, are not known. But their approach to an issue of the greatest national significance, is highly irresponsible. When everything should have been done well ahead of time to absolutely guarantee the holding of an election above reproach, the way to the same appears to have been muddled and unpardonably as so much is at stake.
Only 36 days are there before the voters would be expected to go to the polling booths. But would they have a choice better than on previous such occasions ? This is the all very important question. Elections-2008 were not supposed to be like our previous such experiences. From cumulative experiences over the years and from the frequent expressions of resolve by the present government to really do everything that needed to be done to stage a really meaningful election, people's expectations have been rising like never before. But the expectations are likely to be betrayed.
This is because the major political parties are not much better institutions than in the past to be relied on to rise to people's expectations on going to power and delivering adequately. Among the two main political parties, the BNP has hardly embraced any major political reforms. It submitted to a token gesture of reducing the power of the party chairman to dismiss the standing committee of the party. But apart from this gesture and this was probably made to get over the hurdle of registration of the party with the EC, nothing of substance in the area of reforms was seen to be attempted in this party. It is not known whether from the leadership of this party any conscious move would be taken to field cleaner and more suitable candidates for the election in line with people's expectation. As for the other main party, the Bangladesh Awami League, it has taken some measures to present a better image of itself such as striving to become a more democratized institution and creating opportunities for nomination of better candidates .
But in respect of both of these parties, a very conspicuous vacuum is noted as they have not declared any concrete programmes about what they intend to do on winning the election. It needs no elaboration what the country's immediate priorities ought to be. Energy shortage or the inadequacy in the supply of power and gas, is squeezing economic growth. Millions of people have been pushed back into poverty from high inflation and other factors after their rising up above the poverty line. Unemployment remains a massive problem. The population growth remains unbridled notwithstanding official claim to the contrary. The environmental problems are deepening. This is only a very short list of the problems that need to be addressed effectively with plans and their neat implementation at the fastest.
Are the political players ready to address the same with the promptness the same deserve or any better than in the past ? People would know only if they made known their well considered plan to these ends before the election and vowed to carry them out. But nothing of that sort has happened, so far. People have no idea of what the Awami League would do or the BNP would do and do it better if they are given a chance to occupy the driver's seat again in the country. But the practice in other countries is for political parties to unfurl elaborately their plans to the voters for the latter to weigh them for their soundness and reliability. This then, helps them to choose wisely. But in our situation with the election a little more than a month away, people have no idea about what the parties intend to do extraordinarily to ease even somewhat the major problems afflicting their existence.
This could be because the parties as such have no such plans drawn up and do not know when they are going to cast their eyes on these issues. Like always their approach to the election is becoming like one of going to power for power's sake only and little else. Thus, in this situation there will be every ill prospect of the country having another election and another power transition without the country getting the benefits of its leadership getting passed on to more committed and prepared ones to treat the very serious and growing economic and other problems the effective handling of which is desperately required with the highest concentration of plans and very resolved and persistent actions.
Less than six weeks are left before the holding of the long waited national elections to transfer power on a long term basis to an elected government. The coming election is also not a routine one to be held. There are very important expectations from it. The normal elections pattern was broken to allow for a caretaker government of extraordinary duration of two years to create the space and time the political players needed for self assessment leading to their reforms and creating hopes that they would indeed make a fresh new start.
Supremely, the general expectation of all conscious and relatively enlightened sections of people in Bangladesh has been that the coming elections would indeed be an watershed marking a vigorous turn for the better in every sense in the country's political and economic life. It was the longing over the last twenty four months from people that the elections would set the country on a sustainable course of political stability with the winners in the election getting down to addressing very serious national problems like the power crisis and others from the day one in office.
But where are the signs of these hopes getting fulfilled, even partially ? First of all, let us examine the prospects of political stability. Only weeks are left before the election but one of the two main political parties is still not decided about its participation in the election. Rather, they are lambasting the Election Commission (EC) and other institutions under the incumbent government and even blaming the government on unusually heated terms for its undependability and partisanship and expressing views like how they can participate in elections under these conditions.
Without discussing the merits of the charges by persons at the helm of this party, it should suffice to say that all others in the political fields are quite uncomplaining about going to election under the present conditions. But the concern is not about who participates and who do not in the election. The concern is that non participation by one of the two main parties could put the credibility of the election under doubt as well as sowing the seeds of instability beyond the election. The non participators would again likely start agitation and all other disruptive acts on the basis of their view that the elected ones do not so much enjoy legitimacy because they did not win in an election contested by them. Thus, a singularly important goal of elections-2008 -- political stability on a lasting basis -- would stand to be defeated.
Why and for what reasons neither the government nor this dissenting political party could sort out their differences and ensure the holding of the election in time under conditions accepted by all, are not known. But their approach to an issue of the greatest national significance, is highly irresponsible. When everything should have been done well ahead of time to absolutely guarantee the holding of an election above reproach, the way to the same appears to have been muddled and unpardonably as so much is at stake.
Only 36 days are there before the voters would be expected to go to the polling booths. But would they have a choice better than on previous such occasions ? This is the all very important question. Elections-2008 were not supposed to be like our previous such experiences. From cumulative experiences over the years and from the frequent expressions of resolve by the present government to really do everything that needed to be done to stage a really meaningful election, people's expectations have been rising like never before. But the expectations are likely to be betrayed.
This is because the major political parties are not much better institutions than in the past to be relied on to rise to people's expectations on going to power and delivering adequately. Among the two main political parties, the BNP has hardly embraced any major political reforms. It submitted to a token gesture of reducing the power of the party chairman to dismiss the standing committee of the party. But apart from this gesture and this was probably made to get over the hurdle of registration of the party with the EC, nothing of substance in the area of reforms was seen to be attempted in this party. It is not known whether from the leadership of this party any conscious move would be taken to field cleaner and more suitable candidates for the election in line with people's expectation. As for the other main party, the Bangladesh Awami League, it has taken some measures to present a better image of itself such as striving to become a more democratized institution and creating opportunities for nomination of better candidates .
But in respect of both of these parties, a very conspicuous vacuum is noted as they have not declared any concrete programmes about what they intend to do on winning the election. It needs no elaboration what the country's immediate priorities ought to be. Energy shortage or the inadequacy in the supply of power and gas, is squeezing economic growth. Millions of people have been pushed back into poverty from high inflation and other factors after their rising up above the poverty line. Unemployment remains a massive problem. The population growth remains unbridled notwithstanding official claim to the contrary. The environmental problems are deepening. This is only a very short list of the problems that need to be addressed effectively with plans and their neat implementation at the fastest.
Are the political players ready to address the same with the promptness the same deserve or any better than in the past ? People would know only if they made known their well considered plan to these ends before the election and vowed to carry them out. But nothing of that sort has happened, so far. People have no idea of what the Awami League would do or the BNP would do and do it better if they are given a chance to occupy the driver's seat again in the country. But the practice in other countries is for political parties to unfurl elaborately their plans to the voters for the latter to weigh them for their soundness and reliability. This then, helps them to choose wisely. But in our situation with the election a little more than a month away, people have no idea about what the parties intend to do extraordinarily to ease even somewhat the major problems afflicting their existence.
This could be because the parties as such have no such plans drawn up and do not know when they are going to cast their eyes on these issues. Like always their approach to the election is becoming like one of going to power for power's sake only and little else. Thus, in this situation there will be every ill prospect of the country having another election and another power transition without the country getting the benefits of its leadership getting passed on to more committed and prepared ones to treat the very serious and growing economic and other problems the effective handling of which is desperately required with the highest concentration of plans and very resolved and persistent actions.