This interim government must always remain focused on its primary task of holding a credible parliamentary election by the end of 2008. With this end in view it must set its priorities right and at the same time be prepared to face challenges as they unfold.

A credible election in the context of the murky state of our politics means much more than just a free and fair election. We had by and large fairly free and fair parliamentary elections under interim governments during the last fifteen years.

What have those elections given us except autocratic rule by the “Jatiyatabadi” and the “Awami” rulers, dysfunctional parliament, unbounded corruption, a wholesale loot and plunder of state wealth and property by the ruling coterie and their business associates, ignominy of our country being branded as number one corrupt country in the world, a surge of crime and violence including Islamist militancy, unabated political agitations paralyzing national economy and normal life, more poverty and more misfortunes for the ordinary teeming millions and sprouting of a nouveau riche in the country?

In our country unfortunately politics has degenerated in to a flourishing business of making personal fortunes at the expense of the state interest and the people’s wellbeing. Money, muscle power and manipulation have come to define our brand of politics. Here the most corrupt, the most sinister and dangerously the deadliest of the rogues, the most unscrupulous and the most dishonest materially and intellectually are the ones likely to win hands down in any election. Politics is no longer a glorious profession of serving the cause and interest of the country and the people. This trend of politics has to be reversed if we are to make this country a dream land of “Shonar Bangla” (Golden Bengal).

Priorities

A God sent opportunity has come our way to clear the dark clouds hovering over the political sky and hold a genuinely credible and meaningful parliamentary election which will usher in a truly democratic system of governance in this country. And for this to happen, the first priority is have a voter list of all eligible voters including Bangladeshi nationals living abroad with photographs and thumb impressions. This is a gigantic task given the fact that we never had an authentic voter list for any election in the past. The Election Commission (EC) must work day and night to prepare a genuine voter list as flawlessly as possible and keep updating it as errors are brought to its notice.

Alongside the preparation of voter list, the EC and the government must work hand in gloves to bring about essential electoral reforms and put them in place before election is held. Stringent laws need to be introduced to disqualify branded criminals and tainted politicians for election as or for being a member of parliament no matter how high and mighty they are. Doors of the august house of our parliament must be slammed permanently on those who have been convicted of or have cases, of charges of corruption and criminal offences and of misuse of power and authority pending in a court of law, the bank loan defaulters, the religious bigots who are out to exploit religious sentiments of the people to get elected and those who have collaborated with the Pakistan occupation army and opposed our liberation war and independence movement in 1971.

Whatever leverage the political governments had in the past to influence the EC politically (budget allocation, control of funds expenditure, EC secretariat under prime minister’s office etc) must be removed and necessary law enacted to make the EC truly independent and powerful. In this context it is also essential to reform the very system of appointing the chief election commissioner (CEC) and election commissioners to make it look more democratic and apolitical. If it is not done now the former CEC Aziz episode may plague the nation and create political turmoil again. It would also be appropriate to fix a ceiling in the total number of election commissioners including CEC not exceeding three considering financial constraints and reduced work load and low profile activities of the EC after parliamentary election has been held.

There is need to have necessary law in place to control the mushroom growth of political parties and their conduct. Now one can just put up a sign board and have a political party. This must stop. A political party must be registered with the EC before it takes part in any election. A set of criteria for registration needs to be worked out in line with practice in other democratic countries including our next door neighbor India. A political party not holding regular party council, party office bearers at national level not being elected properly, party funds not being duly audited every year, failure to submit a copy of the detailed report of funds audited to EC each year etc may entail cancellation of the party registration. This is a democratic practice in many countries which has been conveniently evaded by our politicians.

There is some thing known as a code of conduct of the political parties and the candidates contesting election. There is need to further improve upon it with stipulation to disqualify a candidate for election on the spot by the EC should there be evidence of undue influence being exerted on the voters to vote for him or her and against his or her rival candidate.

The government and the EC must make concerted efforts to create a level playing field for all political parties big or small to field their candidates and contest election. Let there be no King’s party to be favored with and no pariah party to be hounded out of the race.

It will be a laudable achievement of this government if it could set up a National Commission with eminent personalities like Dr. Kamal Hossain, Prof. Zillur Rahman Siddiqui, Prof Rehman Sobhan, Prof Mohammad Yunus etc to review the existing system of constituting the apex body of the various state institutions like the EC, the Public Service Commission, the Anti Corruption Commission, the University Grants Commission etc and recommend a more democratic, rational and pragmatic system to guard these institutions against any attempt to politicize them in future, and enact new laws accordingly.

In the interest of the parliament functioning properly in future it would be worthwhile amending the relevant constitutional provision suitably so that no member of parliament is absent from parliament without the leave of parliament for more than seven consecutive sitting days without forfeiture of his or her emoluments, allowances and other perks and privileges for the duration of being so absent.

Most importantly what the government must not lose sight of and where it must not lower its guard is the importance of completing the task of bringing to book the political big wigs and the hoodlums who have pillaged and plundered this country all these years by masquerading as our rulers and leaders. The government in conjunction with the Anti Corruption Commission must harness all the resources it can lay its hands upon to collect all vital evidence of misuse of official power and authority and influence and of all wrong doings and bring the culprits to justice. The process of investigation and prosecution needs to be speeded up. Merely hauling them up and keeping them in detention will not serve any purpose. They must be brought to account for their misdeeds as speedily as possible.

Challenges

The biggest challenge before the government is the mammoth array of forces representing various pressure groups with the core leadership of AL and BNP in the vanguard who are opposed to democracy and the rule of law. These forces built over the years in the absence of true democracy have gained considerable clout. They are slowly and gradually raising their voice in a measured tone against the extended rule by this interim government and against any form of involvement of the military. They are opposed to any reform. They are even opposed to voter list with photographs and thumb impressions. They want a quick return to either “Awami” or “Jatiyatabadi” rule for their own selfish interests. They know for sure that once the political cleansing is done and the political garbage cleared, it is the AL and the BNP which will bear the brunt making way for a third political force to emerge. Hence the surfeit of sympathy of staunch AL supporters for Khaleda Zia and that of BNP supporters for Sheikh Hasina. The government must not lower its guard.

The post flood situation requiring gigantic action plans to rehabilitate the flood affected families by helping them build their homesteads, get food and medical care, buy live stocks lost, get seeds and fertilizer etc represents a big challenge for the government. There will be no dearth of people criticizing the government for any lapses and inciting unrest among the marginalized and the destitute.

Price spiral of essential food stuffs has been and will remain a challenge for the government especially in the coming few months. Food importers and hoarders who control the whole sale market are largely responsible for the continuing price hike. The government must ensure adequate stock piling of essential food items. There is no room for complacency. Nothing will please the anti democratic forces more than a famine like situation obtaining in the country.

The legacy of power sector corruption and inefficiency left behind by the past political governments is another challenge for this government. The government will do well to be constantly seized with the problem and embark upon short term plans for augmenting power generation capacity in order to ensure that power shortage does not reach crisis proportion under any circumstances.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The writer Brigadier General Shamsuddin Ahmed is a former Military Secretary to the President of Bangladesh
E mail : bgshamsuddin.ahmed@gmail.com