Editorial
CEC on party registration
Opt for practical solutions
We are in agreement with the chief election commissioner's view that the constitutions of the political parties should be made compatible with intra-party democracy for them to be eligible for registration with the Election Commission. However, because of the time constraints we feel that it will be difficult for the parties to attain full democratisation of their existing set-ups before the next general election.
The CEC has also said that the constitution of the BNP, one of the two major political parties, will have to be amended before the party gets registration. He has certainly gone to the basics and found flaws in party constitutions which tend to negate the practice of democracy within the parties. But there are problems that the parties are now facing which can hardly be ignored. Amending a party constitution will require its being mooted and ratified in a council, which will not be easy to organise within a very short time, given the present circumstances. Even indoor politics is confined to Dhaka and open political activities are yet to be allowed. The parties will also have to overhaul their functional approach. These parties have never felt the need for changing their ways of functioning. So, it won't be practical to expect them to attain full democratisation of their structure and decision-making processes in a short time.
The EC can issue certain directives which will help intra-party democratisation, while paying enough attention to the need for being pragmatic. Why don't the parties within the time available to them implement the provisions for democratic functioning that already exist in their constitutions. For instance, the BNP constitution provides for election to the post of chairman every two years along with the provision for an annual party council. And the parties may be asked to commit themselves to attaining full inner democratisation within one or two years of the elections. The EC may review their registration in case of failure to fulfill the commitment.
The CEC has rightly observed that the parties lack internal democracy which certainly does not augur well with the idea of establishing a durable democratic order. But the practical drawbacks and limitations have to be taken into account along with the plain truth that an election without the key players might just turn out to be a futile exercise.
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