The old game goes on
Thursday, 20 November 2008
Enayet Rasul
For the last two years, the political parties were seen to be maintaining pressure on the government for the fastest holding of national or parliamentary elections. They rebuked the government for this and that such as taking too long in drawing up a voters' list, then for not mentioning a tentative date for the parliamentary polls and still further down the road for not announcing a firm date for holding the elections.
One by one, all of these demands from the parties were fulfilled. First of all, the drawing up of a credible and dependable voters' list which was the main bone of contention between the two adversaries -- the BNP and the Awami League -- was superbly done. Even the major parties accepted with some inconsequential reservations that this task was better accomplished than at any time in the past. The neatness of this exercise is reflected in their non objection in participating in elections under the current voters' list. They know that no quarters in the country would accept any major objection to the list and that they would not get people's support in the matter as the work was done scrupulously and efficiently.
As for the demand of giving a tentative idea of when the election would be held, the Chief Adviser made it clear at least ten months ago and then repeated it, that the same would be definitely held by 2008 and that government's all preparations were towards that end. Finally, the date of holding the parliamentary polls on 18th December was declared some four months ago by the CA. Thus, one after another, government took the steps to allay any doubts that it was not set on holding the elections or was ready for it or looking for opportunities to avoid it.
Administratively also, government has taken all preparations and measures for holding elections on the due date. Critics are saying that the voters' list has not reached all constituencies and the delimitation of certain constituencies is facing a court verdict. But the government has assured a solution of these problems well before the election date. At any rate, there is no need to doubt that it won't be able to send voters' list to the constituencies before the 18th December. Such a thinking is childish and laughable because the government cannot go back on its commitment of holding election on the18th which it has so unequivocally pledged to do before the people of Bangladesh and the world at large.
The moot question now is : are the parties ready for the election? More significantly or appropriately, the question should be whether they have done sincerely as much they could do over the last nearly two years to approach or participate in the elections after satisfying very reasonable public expectations from them in this regard ?
The ball was thrown back on the court of the political parties ever since government started taking real steps to hold the election on the declared date. It was the obligation on the part of the parties to respond or play back for the election to happen. But barely four weeks are left for the voters to go the polls and now one of the two main parties in the country has taken the stand that it is not ready to go to election as it needs more time to prepare. Ironically, the leaders of the same party used to bitterly criticize the government for not proceeding faster for holding the elections. Now that everything is ready for the polling, they say that they are not ready. They have issued an ultimatum for the a deferment of the election date. They want this deferment not by days or weeks but months. But why ?
They say that they need more time for nominating their candidates. In that case, the question may be put to them why they did not complete this work when the date of the election and the final date for submission of nomination papers have been known for some months. Is it not a case of gross irresponsibility ?
One of their latest demands involves the Election Commission (EC) to give up its power of rejecting the submitted nomination paper of any or some of their candidates. It is anticipated that the BNP wants to ensure that the EC okays the nomination papers submitted by some of their nominated candidates, who are big names in their constituencies but suffered graft charges and could be disqualified on these grounds. These individuals enjoy some renown in their constituencies and on the basis of their financial strengths, they would stand some chance of tipping the scale again in their favour notwithstanding the general disdain for the BNP which is noted among the voters. This is the BNP calculation and they want to absolutely have their way on this no matter whether the national aspirations for holding earliest election on the declared date and the fielding of clean candidates for the elections, remain unmet.
Therefore, the government faces a real challenge until the countdown to the elections. It has to weigh all the sides, consequences and probabilities. But it should draw strength from knowing it that people are no fools. They are very eager for elections and they want to utilize their voting power to install a new government on which they would be reposing their trust to deliver them from many predicaments. They are absolutely against any stalling game or only a namesake election to pave the way for the revival of the old way of doing things by politicians with tarred images. They are for change and anybody who would do anything manipulative to frustrate their aspirations, would only court their indignation. A political party may mobilize a large number of people who have been its beneficiaries for long. But they do not necessarily symbolize the intent of the general people or the entire people of the country.
Knowing these things, it should be easy for the government to decide on its course in the next few days-- whether to capitulate or remain unshaken in its course. The government should have no fears if it acts from a balanced assessment of conditions and from the comforting knowledge that the majority of the people would support its decision seen to be truly in their interests and the interests of the country. People would certainly loathe a partisan decision favouring a political quarters against the wishes and aspirations of the rest of the nation.
For the last two years, the political parties were seen to be maintaining pressure on the government for the fastest holding of national or parliamentary elections. They rebuked the government for this and that such as taking too long in drawing up a voters' list, then for not mentioning a tentative date for the parliamentary polls and still further down the road for not announcing a firm date for holding the elections.
One by one, all of these demands from the parties were fulfilled. First of all, the drawing up of a credible and dependable voters' list which was the main bone of contention between the two adversaries -- the BNP and the Awami League -- was superbly done. Even the major parties accepted with some inconsequential reservations that this task was better accomplished than at any time in the past. The neatness of this exercise is reflected in their non objection in participating in elections under the current voters' list. They know that no quarters in the country would accept any major objection to the list and that they would not get people's support in the matter as the work was done scrupulously and efficiently.
As for the demand of giving a tentative idea of when the election would be held, the Chief Adviser made it clear at least ten months ago and then repeated it, that the same would be definitely held by 2008 and that government's all preparations were towards that end. Finally, the date of holding the parliamentary polls on 18th December was declared some four months ago by the CA. Thus, one after another, government took the steps to allay any doubts that it was not set on holding the elections or was ready for it or looking for opportunities to avoid it.
Administratively also, government has taken all preparations and measures for holding elections on the due date. Critics are saying that the voters' list has not reached all constituencies and the delimitation of certain constituencies is facing a court verdict. But the government has assured a solution of these problems well before the election date. At any rate, there is no need to doubt that it won't be able to send voters' list to the constituencies before the 18th December. Such a thinking is childish and laughable because the government cannot go back on its commitment of holding election on the18th which it has so unequivocally pledged to do before the people of Bangladesh and the world at large.
The moot question now is : are the parties ready for the election? More significantly or appropriately, the question should be whether they have done sincerely as much they could do over the last nearly two years to approach or participate in the elections after satisfying very reasonable public expectations from them in this regard ?
The ball was thrown back on the court of the political parties ever since government started taking real steps to hold the election on the declared date. It was the obligation on the part of the parties to respond or play back for the election to happen. But barely four weeks are left for the voters to go the polls and now one of the two main parties in the country has taken the stand that it is not ready to go to election as it needs more time to prepare. Ironically, the leaders of the same party used to bitterly criticize the government for not proceeding faster for holding the elections. Now that everything is ready for the polling, they say that they are not ready. They have issued an ultimatum for the a deferment of the election date. They want this deferment not by days or weeks but months. But why ?
They say that they need more time for nominating their candidates. In that case, the question may be put to them why they did not complete this work when the date of the election and the final date for submission of nomination papers have been known for some months. Is it not a case of gross irresponsibility ?
One of their latest demands involves the Election Commission (EC) to give up its power of rejecting the submitted nomination paper of any or some of their candidates. It is anticipated that the BNP wants to ensure that the EC okays the nomination papers submitted by some of their nominated candidates, who are big names in their constituencies but suffered graft charges and could be disqualified on these grounds. These individuals enjoy some renown in their constituencies and on the basis of their financial strengths, they would stand some chance of tipping the scale again in their favour notwithstanding the general disdain for the BNP which is noted among the voters. This is the BNP calculation and they want to absolutely have their way on this no matter whether the national aspirations for holding earliest election on the declared date and the fielding of clean candidates for the elections, remain unmet.
Therefore, the government faces a real challenge until the countdown to the elections. It has to weigh all the sides, consequences and probabilities. But it should draw strength from knowing it that people are no fools. They are very eager for elections and they want to utilize their voting power to install a new government on which they would be reposing their trust to deliver them from many predicaments. They are absolutely against any stalling game or only a namesake election to pave the way for the revival of the old way of doing things by politicians with tarred images. They are for change and anybody who would do anything manipulative to frustrate their aspirations, would only court their indignation. A political party may mobilize a large number of people who have been its beneficiaries for long. But they do not necessarily symbolize the intent of the general people or the entire people of the country.
Knowing these things, it should be easy for the government to decide on its course in the next few days-- whether to capitulate or remain unshaken in its course. The government should have no fears if it acts from a balanced assessment of conditions and from the comforting knowledge that the majority of the people would support its decision seen to be truly in their interests and the interests of the country. People would certainly loathe a partisan decision favouring a political quarters against the wishes and aspirations of the rest of the nation.