Politicising anything, everything
Saturday, 8 December 2007
Enayet Rasul
From the first day of the tenure of the incumbent caretaker government, its leading lights have been stressing that they would not just preside over the holding of elections and nothing else. They took the people into confidence and made known their plans to reform the election systems, political institutions and related areas so that people in the country could expect healthy politics, a healthy political culture and political stability after the election. Thus, it was declared early by the reconstituted and reorganized Election Commission (EC) in line with the spirit generated by that revamped body, that it would expect the political parties to be duly registered for the purpose of the election.
Needless to say, this registration would be dependent on fulfilling certain requirements. This was only counted as sensible and good for the future of the country generally by the intelligentsia and conscious and enlightened quarters. Sensing a groundswell of support behind the EC's move and as they had hardly recovered from the severe loss of esteem they suffered in public conception from their irresponsibilities and failures last year that brought the country to the edge of the precipice in the political, social and economic sense, the leaders of the political parties at that time probably calculated that it would be no good to object to the EC's very well intentioned move.
But now the mood on their part is changing. They could have calculated that a number of factors such as the price rise of essential goods may have eroded the appeal and popularity of the incumbent government. Thus, in their reckoning, now is the suitable time to roll up their sleeves and play their part to keep the status quo unchanged, No other explanation, specially a psychological one, can be traced to the latest knee jerk reaction of sections of some political parties, particularly by a section of the immediate past ruling political party with its discredited leaders, to a recent suggestion from the EC that the political parties will have to give proof of their internal restructuring as a condition for their registration enabling them to participate in the coming national elections. Essentially, this would involve rewriting party constitutions if these are presently not democratic in nature.
But the immediate reaction of this section of the immediate past ruling party, was an outright rejection of the EC suggestion. The EC was reprimanded by the leaders of this section of the party as overstepping from its jurisdiction. According to them, it is not up to the EC to examine what kind of constitutions the political parties have. Its only duties are preparing for elections and holding them.
In a situation when the political parties are run in a dictatorial manner or their leaders have no accountability to partymen, such leaders cannot be expected to behave democratically on going to power again. Nor can the members of these parties attempt to change their leaderships for their turning autocratic on going to power or for their becoming not fit to govern for indulging in corruption and other misdeeds if the present undemocratic party constitutions remain unchanged .
In fact, the long years of the rule by political parties have indelibly left the impression in people's mind that lack of the culture of democracy within the parties, the consequent imperious mentality of their leaders and their habitually practicing the same on going to power, led to one crisis after another that peaked towards the end of last year and seemed about to push the country towards great destructiveness and anarchy.
Thus, there is a united national opinion of sorts that the political parties must be deep cleansed and the EC only reflected or promoted this aspiration by wanting the democratization of the constitutions of political parties. The EC expected, first of all, to change their constitutions to make the same more democratic. The democratic constitution of the parties would mean that the leaders will not be able to behave autocratically and suppress all good suggestions. They will be forced to listen to the good counsel of their party colleagues and mend their ways. The democratic constitutions will enable good and competent individuals to rise in the party hierarchy and the present tendency of dynastic leadership would end. Political parties, thus reformed, would be fitter in every respect to govern the country in a better way-- than in the past-- on going to power.
Therefore, the EC has been only respecting constructive public opinion by suggesting that from now on the registration of the political parties by it, the first step for the parties to participate in elections, would depend on their giving proof of their reform actives or democratization. The democratization of the party constitution would be accepted as the proof. But the moment this suggestion was made by the EC authorities, vested interest groups within the political parties were found reacting vehemently against it. But the EC ought to be uncompromising in this matter knowing that they are doing the right thing and that their move would have overwhelming support from all sections of sensible and scrupulous people in the country.
* * * * * * *
What is purely a selfless effort on the part of a sensitized country and its administration to a grim humanitarian situation calling for immediate assistance to very distressed people or an efficient way of giving of emergency relief to them, can be awfully misunderstood. Vested quarters can engage in senseless propaganda to fulfill their ulterior motives centering on such a move to help very helpless people. But this form of cheap politics is not only in bad taste but amounts to a cruel move to deny urgent relief to millions of people passing their days in extreme misery.
The arrival of two US naval ships and their creating a small shore camp at Barisal for the express purpose of aiding the cyclone victims, was very unbecomingly turned into a hot political issue by some quarters. The troops since then have completed their missions and have returned to the ships. Very soon, the ships would be leaving our shores. Hopefully, the furore created by their coming will gradually die down. But the potentials of what damage the adverse publicities could cause to the otherwise constructive nature of bilateral relations between two sovereign countries, need to be evaluated. This is all the more necessary to discourage motivated quarters from again indulging so carelessly in such expressions.
The rabble rousing against the US forces on a purely humanitarian exercise gave an idea of how short-sighted these quarters can be when it comes to understanding the international community we live in and its values. Some of them even likened the coming of the US warships with the arrival of the US seventh fleet in the Bay of Bengal towards the fag end of our liberation war. The Pakistan army at that time made false propaganda that the fleet had come to their assistance. But the arrival of the US warships in our shore in peace time was inspired by no other feeling than mitigating the extreme woes of the victims of cyclone Sidr. To read anything more into it, is letting the imagination to run riot.
The world we live in today is very different from the one of the 50s and 60s when any such move could be suspect. If this is not so, then Vietnam and the US would remain as perpetual enemies. Few countries suffered like Vietnam at the hands of the US military. But the two countries have recognized each other diplomatically and they are enjoying growing trade relations. Vietnam did not hold back from trade or normal relations with the US on the ground that it was once the target of military attacks by US forces. The feeling of animosities have dissipated with the ending of the Vietnam war.
Vietnam today recognizes the realties that its economic growth and well-being depends significantly on selling its products in the US market and this requires friendly relations with the US. Thus, not long ago US warships even came to Vietnamese harbours on friendly visits for a while as they carried out exercises in the East China sea. But Vietnamese government and people did not think and act at that time as if the US ships had come with some form of aggression in their minds or with any other ill motive. If they thought so, then the ships would not be welcome during their short stay in that country.
The government of Bangladesh welcomed the arrival of the US ships because these are carrying helicopters and other logistical capacities that can be very useful in aiding the cyclone afflicted ones in the remote and normally difficult to access areas. The jurisdictions of the US force was clearly spelled out. They were to broadly work in support of the Bangladeshi authorities. Both sides categorically declared that the force would leave the moment their special needs would come to an end. So, there was no ambiguity about their tasks or the duration of their stay.
The memories of grateful Bangladeshis are not so dim. They can recall that a US naval force came to Bangladesh while returning home from the first Gulf war. The operation was code named Sea Angels and people in Bangladesh remember their working like angels to help the calamity affected people of this country at that time and their departing the moment they had completely discharged their very useful services. So, why all this hue and cry this time ? This was as senseless as it was an insult to normal reasoning.
Policy planners in Bangladesh as well as the rank and file of our people cannot overlook the fact that the US is very important to Bangladesh and nothing should be done to create misunderstanding in that relationship. Bangladesh's main export item, readymade garments (RMG), goes very largely to the US market. The US is the biggest single buyer of our garments. Bangladesh maintains a big surplus in its balance of trade with the US. The US even imposed restrictions on entry of Chinese products in its markets to help out Bangladesh. Bilaterally and multilaterally, the US is a major giver of all forms of aid and economic assistance to Bangladesh. It has been associated also with all constructive socio-political developments in Bangladesh. Diplomatically, Bangladesh benefits from the guardian like role the US plays in hedging it from many risks.
Thus, there is every reason on the part of this country, its government and all rational quarters, to make efforts to preserve and consolidate the excellent relations between the two countries. Nothing should be allowed that would lead to straining of this wonderful relationship.
From the first day of the tenure of the incumbent caretaker government, its leading lights have been stressing that they would not just preside over the holding of elections and nothing else. They took the people into confidence and made known their plans to reform the election systems, political institutions and related areas so that people in the country could expect healthy politics, a healthy political culture and political stability after the election. Thus, it was declared early by the reconstituted and reorganized Election Commission (EC) in line with the spirit generated by that revamped body, that it would expect the political parties to be duly registered for the purpose of the election.
Needless to say, this registration would be dependent on fulfilling certain requirements. This was only counted as sensible and good for the future of the country generally by the intelligentsia and conscious and enlightened quarters. Sensing a groundswell of support behind the EC's move and as they had hardly recovered from the severe loss of esteem they suffered in public conception from their irresponsibilities and failures last year that brought the country to the edge of the precipice in the political, social and economic sense, the leaders of the political parties at that time probably calculated that it would be no good to object to the EC's very well intentioned move.
But now the mood on their part is changing. They could have calculated that a number of factors such as the price rise of essential goods may have eroded the appeal and popularity of the incumbent government. Thus, in their reckoning, now is the suitable time to roll up their sleeves and play their part to keep the status quo unchanged, No other explanation, specially a psychological one, can be traced to the latest knee jerk reaction of sections of some political parties, particularly by a section of the immediate past ruling political party with its discredited leaders, to a recent suggestion from the EC that the political parties will have to give proof of their internal restructuring as a condition for their registration enabling them to participate in the coming national elections. Essentially, this would involve rewriting party constitutions if these are presently not democratic in nature.
But the immediate reaction of this section of the immediate past ruling party, was an outright rejection of the EC suggestion. The EC was reprimanded by the leaders of this section of the party as overstepping from its jurisdiction. According to them, it is not up to the EC to examine what kind of constitutions the political parties have. Its only duties are preparing for elections and holding them.
In a situation when the political parties are run in a dictatorial manner or their leaders have no accountability to partymen, such leaders cannot be expected to behave democratically on going to power again. Nor can the members of these parties attempt to change their leaderships for their turning autocratic on going to power or for their becoming not fit to govern for indulging in corruption and other misdeeds if the present undemocratic party constitutions remain unchanged .
In fact, the long years of the rule by political parties have indelibly left the impression in people's mind that lack of the culture of democracy within the parties, the consequent imperious mentality of their leaders and their habitually practicing the same on going to power, led to one crisis after another that peaked towards the end of last year and seemed about to push the country towards great destructiveness and anarchy.
Thus, there is a united national opinion of sorts that the political parties must be deep cleansed and the EC only reflected or promoted this aspiration by wanting the democratization of the constitutions of political parties. The EC expected, first of all, to change their constitutions to make the same more democratic. The democratic constitution of the parties would mean that the leaders will not be able to behave autocratically and suppress all good suggestions. They will be forced to listen to the good counsel of their party colleagues and mend their ways. The democratic constitutions will enable good and competent individuals to rise in the party hierarchy and the present tendency of dynastic leadership would end. Political parties, thus reformed, would be fitter in every respect to govern the country in a better way-- than in the past-- on going to power.
Therefore, the EC has been only respecting constructive public opinion by suggesting that from now on the registration of the political parties by it, the first step for the parties to participate in elections, would depend on their giving proof of their reform actives or democratization. The democratization of the party constitution would be accepted as the proof. But the moment this suggestion was made by the EC authorities, vested interest groups within the political parties were found reacting vehemently against it. But the EC ought to be uncompromising in this matter knowing that they are doing the right thing and that their move would have overwhelming support from all sections of sensible and scrupulous people in the country.
* * * * * * *
What is purely a selfless effort on the part of a sensitized country and its administration to a grim humanitarian situation calling for immediate assistance to very distressed people or an efficient way of giving of emergency relief to them, can be awfully misunderstood. Vested quarters can engage in senseless propaganda to fulfill their ulterior motives centering on such a move to help very helpless people. But this form of cheap politics is not only in bad taste but amounts to a cruel move to deny urgent relief to millions of people passing their days in extreme misery.
The arrival of two US naval ships and their creating a small shore camp at Barisal for the express purpose of aiding the cyclone victims, was very unbecomingly turned into a hot political issue by some quarters. The troops since then have completed their missions and have returned to the ships. Very soon, the ships would be leaving our shores. Hopefully, the furore created by their coming will gradually die down. But the potentials of what damage the adverse publicities could cause to the otherwise constructive nature of bilateral relations between two sovereign countries, need to be evaluated. This is all the more necessary to discourage motivated quarters from again indulging so carelessly in such expressions.
The rabble rousing against the US forces on a purely humanitarian exercise gave an idea of how short-sighted these quarters can be when it comes to understanding the international community we live in and its values. Some of them even likened the coming of the US warships with the arrival of the US seventh fleet in the Bay of Bengal towards the fag end of our liberation war. The Pakistan army at that time made false propaganda that the fleet had come to their assistance. But the arrival of the US warships in our shore in peace time was inspired by no other feeling than mitigating the extreme woes of the victims of cyclone Sidr. To read anything more into it, is letting the imagination to run riot.
The world we live in today is very different from the one of the 50s and 60s when any such move could be suspect. If this is not so, then Vietnam and the US would remain as perpetual enemies. Few countries suffered like Vietnam at the hands of the US military. But the two countries have recognized each other diplomatically and they are enjoying growing trade relations. Vietnam did not hold back from trade or normal relations with the US on the ground that it was once the target of military attacks by US forces. The feeling of animosities have dissipated with the ending of the Vietnam war.
Vietnam today recognizes the realties that its economic growth and well-being depends significantly on selling its products in the US market and this requires friendly relations with the US. Thus, not long ago US warships even came to Vietnamese harbours on friendly visits for a while as they carried out exercises in the East China sea. But Vietnamese government and people did not think and act at that time as if the US ships had come with some form of aggression in their minds or with any other ill motive. If they thought so, then the ships would not be welcome during their short stay in that country.
The government of Bangladesh welcomed the arrival of the US ships because these are carrying helicopters and other logistical capacities that can be very useful in aiding the cyclone afflicted ones in the remote and normally difficult to access areas. The jurisdictions of the US force was clearly spelled out. They were to broadly work in support of the Bangladeshi authorities. Both sides categorically declared that the force would leave the moment their special needs would come to an end. So, there was no ambiguity about their tasks or the duration of their stay.
The memories of grateful Bangladeshis are not so dim. They can recall that a US naval force came to Bangladesh while returning home from the first Gulf war. The operation was code named Sea Angels and people in Bangladesh remember their working like angels to help the calamity affected people of this country at that time and their departing the moment they had completely discharged their very useful services. So, why all this hue and cry this time ? This was as senseless as it was an insult to normal reasoning.
Policy planners in Bangladesh as well as the rank and file of our people cannot overlook the fact that the US is very important to Bangladesh and nothing should be done to create misunderstanding in that relationship. Bangladesh's main export item, readymade garments (RMG), goes very largely to the US market. The US is the biggest single buyer of our garments. Bangladesh maintains a big surplus in its balance of trade with the US. The US even imposed restrictions on entry of Chinese products in its markets to help out Bangladesh. Bilaterally and multilaterally, the US is a major giver of all forms of aid and economic assistance to Bangladesh. It has been associated also with all constructive socio-political developments in Bangladesh. Diplomatically, Bangladesh benefits from the guardian like role the US plays in hedging it from many risks.
Thus, there is every reason on the part of this country, its government and all rational quarters, to make efforts to preserve and consolidate the excellent relations between the two countries. Nothing should be allowed that would lead to straining of this wonderful relationship.