Positive development in the political arena
The leading two parties must seize the opportunity
With the release of Khaleda Zia the two leaders are back in the centre stage of our political arena. Nothing could be more positive than a situation where the two major parties, shorn of their party chiefs for so long, can now move definitively forward and work towards a well participated, free and fair election.
This development had put aside any thoughts of the ill-conceived formula of 'minus two' that eventually became 'manage two' with the same result.
The protagonists of such a concept will have by now seen the fallacy of the scheme as being not only inopportune but inapplicable, given the popular base of the two ladies which the recent events have shown. One must admit that the plan was a major blunder, which put back the reform process many months. We stand wiser by this folly, fully cognizant of the reality that interference in the political process or imprudent intrusion into its realm is bound to throw up more problems than is likely to solve.
With their popularity vindicated and power base proven, the two leaders must seize the opportunity to recast the shape of our politics and the character of the polity. And towards that end the most important matter that the two must grasp is the issue of political reform.
In spite of, and notwithstanding, all that have happened since January of 2007, the issue of political reform still remains as relevant as ever. If anything, the developments of the past eighteen months validate the popular demand of reform of politics and political parties. It is an issue that must be addressed without further delay, and nothing can be a bigger blunder than to think that it will be business as usual in politics and we can proceed overlooking the reform issue. The nation cannot countenance repeat of the events that led to 1/11.
A redeeming feature of the recent developments is that the focus is now on parliamentary elections, with the demand for honest and good candidates as strong as ever. And if the character of the post election governance has to change for the better then reform is the most essential precondition that must be fulfilled. It is abundantly clear that changes cannot be imposed from outside but be internally motivated. And this is where the role of the major parties, particularly the two leaders assume great significance, because it is they who must initiate the changes within the party.
It is also a popular expectation that the two leaders meet, and we had always supported such an idea in the past. This time we do so with double emphasis since without consonance of thoughts of the two leaders the reform agenda will remain an unfulfilled aspiration of the people.
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