Editorial
Dialogue with political parties
The sooner the better
The decision of the caretaker government to start dialogues with the political parties soon to overcome the prevailing impasse is surely the right way to start its 2nd year into power. We strongly believe that governance should be left to elected leadership, and no impediment whatsoever be entertained any further to frustrate holding of talks across the table with political parties, who provide national leaders through elections. Since 2008 must be the election year, as charted out in the roadmap of the Election Commission, the initiative for political dialogue must be taken immediately.
The government on its part will have to clear all obstacles and remove from the minds of the people all doubts, if any, that the elections will be held within the given time once important issues like electoral reforms, voter list with photographs and demarcation of constituencies have been taken care of. The government will also have to come out open on the burning question of at what point it intends to lift the state of emergency because it entails allowing freedom of speech, peaceful political meetings and assembly etc. No political activities or even dialogue can take place under a state of emergency.
On the part of the political parties they will have to convince the public through their commitment that they would not go back to the politics of confrontation and destruction; blame game; repression on the opposition and politics of boycott and hartal. They would have to give commitments towards rejecting black money and dishonest candidates and create opportunity for nominating honest and clean candidates through a transparent process. They must undertake intra party reform process to install a democratic structure and this they will have to do keeping in full view the fact that public knowledge and outlook about politics and politicians have undergone qualitative change in last one year. Once elected to power political parties will have to convince all that they would create conducive environment inside parliament to allow full participation of the opposition in the sessions and not interfere in the independent functioning of the parliamentary committees. They further need to ensure that they would follow all democratic norms showing respect to all democratic institutions.
This further needs to be said that the major changes and reforms, especially in the Anti Corruption Commission and Election Commission, already done by the caretaker government should be agreed upon by the political government to be elected to power. The reforms were long due and were done on the basis of general consensus.
We once again welcome the decision of the caretaker government to start dialogues with political parties to end the stalemate. Start the dialogue soon enough and work towards holding a free, fair and peaceful election to elect proficient public representatives who would take the country on the path of progress and prosperity.
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