Editorial
Parties yet to reveal manifestoes
A concrete and detailed approach to issues is a necessity
IT is intriguing that with barely four weeks to go before the country goes to the general elections, the political parties are yet to make public their manifestoes on the basis of which they mean to gain support at the ballot box. In fact, by now the manifestoes outlining the positions of the parties on the pressing issues ought to have been in place and a good degree of public debate should have been generated on them. While we understand that the parties are working on them, we still feel that voters should have been given an opportunity to make their informed choices on the issues reflected in the manifestoes a little earlier than now.
One hardly needs to reiterate the truth that this time around, the nation goes to the polls against a background the like of which has not been seen in Bangladesh. A caretaker government has been in office, armed with emergency powers, for close to two years instead of the constitutionally stipulated ninety days. The reasons why such a reality has been there are not hard to fathom. And because of these reasons, or the circumstances, it becomes important that the political parties swiftly come forth with an enumeration of the policies and programmes that, while retaining the positive work done by the caretaker government, will provide the nation with a renewed sense of direction.
A most significant question here concerns corruption and handling the economy, which in light of the on-going global crisis demands an appropriate, well thought-out response from the parties. Obviously, the party or coalition of parties making it to power after the December elections will face an enormous task. Which is why a fully laid out plan on what the parties need to do about the thrust sectors of the economy is of paramount importance. The future of the garments industry, together with the necessity of employment generation for a growing army of men and women looking for jobs, calls for a pragmatic approach by the politicians. Add to that the need for policies on attracting outside investment, especially by non-resident Bangladeshis, in the country. A very large number of Bangladeshis now work across the continents. This resource must be tapped and put to effective use for development.
In simple and yet serious terms, the nation expects from the political parties vision statements that will indicate their preparedness not only for political leadership but also their ability to govern through providing the greatest good for the greatest number in an environment of peace and stability. The social sector must, therefore, be the focus of the manifestoes. Tapping youth power and handling climate change are surely some of our priorities today. There must be clear, specific targets, buttressed by facts and figures, set by the parties. Let the manifestoes be outlined and made public at the earliest, enough to convince voters that the parties are ready to lead up front. Nebulous promises or mere academic responses to conditions will not help and indeed will not impress the electorate.
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