Hoping for a miracle

When it took off at long last it groped for direction which scarcely came forth in concrete terms from party sources or any other quarter. In arcane secrecy, the interlocutors kept mum on the outcome, if any, of the talks. In spite of that, the charade of a dialogue went on -- but haltingly

-- keeping the anxious public in suspense.

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In the meantime, the voluble party leaders on both sides kept throwing innuendoes at each other like missiles -- thus vitiating the ambience for dialogue. The pungency of the prime minister's remarks directed at her opponent is anything but conducive to the efforts to reach an understanding on the vital national issue of holding free, fair, and credible election. The lack of restraint on the part of the leader of the opposition also dampened the spirit of dialogue.

To make things worse, the absence of both the party supremos, as well as the interlocutors, from the country at this crucial juncture gives further jolt to the dialogue which is now in limbo. Meanwhile, the news of Professor Yunus of Grameen Bank winning the Nobel Peace Prize has created a fluster, making everything else seem insignificant.

In an euphoric outburst, a Yunus fever has taken things by storm, and suddenly the dialogue has lost its primacy and centrality in the country's political discourse. Although it is yet to be over, or abandoned, few think that the dialogue would lead to a positive outcome.

Where do we go from here? With every passing day, the political crises surrounding the next general election are assuming more and more complexity. The people, steeped in despair, tend to clutch at any straw to seek relief from the continuing agony of uncertainty, and a looming political conflict.

Many have hinted at Professor Yunus as a possible saviour. But doubts abound as to whether his expertise would, in any way, enrich the country's politics -- notwithstanding a singular success in his own sphere of specialization, i.e. poverty alleviation.

Although he gives an approving nod to the idea by declaring that he would float his own political party, if required, to ensure the country's governance by the fittest and the honest, the reactions are mixed.

Politics the world over has its own traditional way, and can hardly be conditioned by the experts' views. There has seldom been instance of experts taking the helm of the country's politics. Because, in that case, both politics and their noble ventures in the field of their expertise are likely to suffer. Politics has its own process of catharsis which churns out only the very best.

This dynamic of politics has only to be revitalised through credible election, which is a dependable process of political catharsis. It invariably churns only the very best, and filters out the fake, pseudo, and unwanted politicians. Several consecutive elections, credibly conducted, can produce the results desired by the likes of Professor Yunus. The issue facing the nation at the moment is that of a credible election. Our problem is that of being denied such an election through a series of shenanigans resorted to by the establishment.

There was the need for dialogue on electoral reforms so that the people are free to elect the legislator of their choice, and the wisdom of their choice has amply been exhibited in the past. There are indications that the dialogue has run into an insurmountable snag with regard to the question of the head of the caretaker government.

The question has so far been widely debated, both in favour of, and against, the establishment's scripted arrangement. Both sides appear to have stuck to their guns, for the stakes are high indeed. The post of chief adviser is the lynchpin for the conduct of the crucial election due early next year. Unless some miracle takes place today -- and to the satisfaction of popular demand -- a disaster of unknown proportions is a clear possibility. This is no time for sophistry or delusion.

Brig ( retd) Hafiz is former DG of BIISS.