Strategically Speaking
All quiet on the reform front
SUDDENLY, it seems that the issue of political reform has been relegated to the background. Some, I feel, would like to see it put on the backburner altogether for good, if they could.
No wonder that the politicians and the civil society are talking about elections. It is true that the country can't wait to see election to the parliament held as soon as possible.
Even our friends and well-wishers are calling for elections by 2008. Only the other day the US principal deputy assistant secretary for South Asia (I suppose he is deputy to the person who is assistant to the secretary of state) said in no uncertain terms that the US would like to see Bangladesh hold the promised polls by 2008 -- and stick to the roadmap. Forgive my lack of comprehension, but to me his tone appeared rather fitting for a country like Iraq and not Bangladesh. But, be that as it may, we do not dispute the substance of what he said.
Everyone in Bangladesh would like to see the country run by the people's representatives. We have said umpteen times that an un-elected government, whatever validity it might be invested with by the constitution, should be only a stopgap measure. The more it prolongs its stay, the longer will it get embroiled, unwittingly I might add, with intractable issues, the likes of which can be and should be addressed by an elected government only.
And then the much-vaunted roadmap is being cited, reminding the caretaker government of its bounden duty to abide by the timeframe for the parliamentary election. In this regard, there are those who talk of more than one roadmap. I disagree with them with all the deference they deserve.
There is only one roadmap and there is only one objective -- handing over the reins of power to the elected representatives. And I do not believe that the caretaker government is not sagacious enough to realise the importance of that.
However, the road that will take us on our journey up to the final station requires touching a few smaller stations, without which the journey will be incomplete. It is what the Americans call touching base. You don't touch base your run doesn't count. And the government is committed to the people to fulfill certain obligations while it moves the nation towards the ultimate goal.
And the two very important preconditions, on which a free fair and transparent election is predicated, are the reform in the political arena and making election free of money and muscle power, and by going after the corrupt.
As for the latter, the policy of the ACC is praiseworthy, although its modus operandi should have been so designed as to have prevented the adverse economic impact that the country has to contend with, although this is not the only factor that is responsible for the negative bearing on the market. But for the common person it is the price that is only thing that matters -- the pundits can spend hours on delving on theories and the reasons for the galloping price hike -- it does not make an iota of difference to the man with fixed income who is distressed at his ever-shrinking buying power. But ridding the country of corruption will take time. The process must go on.
As for the reform in the political sector, admittedly, while developing a refined political culture is a matter of time and function of the psyche of the polity, not so with political and electoral reforms. And, by and large, there is a popular demand for reform, without which we may find ourselves back to the pre-January 11 days -- which none of us wants.
One feels that the three stake holders in the election -- the people, the political parties and the government, to be precise the EC -- have their own take on the reform issue, not necessarily divergent, but perhaps varying in emphasis.
For the people going back to the pre 1/11 days is not an option they would like to contemplate. They are, therefore, looking up to the other two stakeholders to play their part in this regard.
For the EC, the onerous, and perhaps the more difficult, task is to bring in electoral reforms that would hopefully change the character of our politics and elections, and at the same time facilitate political party reform. Admittedly, the former is primarily, if not entirely, the EC's realm and domain where changes can be effected through government fiat, which can subsequently be made into laws by the next parliament. The EC, by effecting appropriate electoral reform, can also induce changes of and within the political parties. However, in this matter the key political parties should be consulted and should be taken on board, because the political parties' ownership of the changes is a guarantee that those would be enacted as laws by the elected parliament.
However, the other equally important task of the EC, and perhaps more time consuming, that of the voter list, one hopes would be completed well in time. The EC as well as the army must be lauded for taking on a task that required treading an uncharted path. We are, hopefully, going to get a foolproof voter list with photographs. It should be mentioned that the preparation of national ID card has no bearing on the national election or the voter list. Photo-voter list will certainly add a new dimension to the voting system, one feels. Seeing the progress of work and the fact that the voter lists of four city corporations and seven municipalities have been completed already, gives one the impression that the preparation of voter list is on schedule.
As for political reforms, one hopes that the major political parties have come to accept the reality that changes are in order, and that they must be brought about without delay. But we must all acknowledge that changes cannot be compelled or induced from outside. However, there is a divide in the two major political parties regarding reform of political parties, more apparent in the BNP than in the AL. The JP, we are told, has already constituted a committee to suggest changes in its constitution.
One is disheartened to see the EC-political party dialogue hit a snag because of issue of leadership in the BNP, which is pending in the court. This has put back finalisation of the EC reform package. Time is running out for everybody. The need is to reflect the hope of the people in whatever future political reforms that are ultimately agreed upon by the other two stakeholders. And no one should deviate from that objective. But whatever is the political dénouenment, it will be incomplete without political reform. And without it election will be meaningless.
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